A frittata is the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch dish. It would be a great choice for Mother’s day as it is fancier than scrambled or fried eggs, but easier than a quiche.

I wanted something a bit special, so I chose the combination of spinach and pancetta. Pancetta is Italian cured pork belly, similar to bacon. I had no problem locating a brand in my supermarket clearly labeled gluten-free.

Uncooked pancetta.

Wilted spinach with bell pepper and pancetta.

A slice of frittata.

Spinach and Pancetta Frittata

I cooked this in a cast iron pan, but if you don’t have and oven-proof skillet you could change step 5 & 6 and assemble it in a pie plate and bake in the oven. However, this might add couple of minutes to the cooking time.

  • 3 oz pancetta, diced
  • 10-12 oz fresh spinach
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 Tb heavy cream or whole milk
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, cheddar or favorite cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. In a cast iron skillet, over medium heat cook pancetta until crisp and browned, stirring often; this takes about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove pancetta from pan and remove all put 1 tsp drippings (it may not be necessary to do this step, it just depends on how fatty the pork is).
  3. Add the spinach to the pan and continue to cook over medium heat until spinach is wilted; this only takes a few minutes. Spoon off any extra liquid if necessary.
  4. Stir in cooked pancetta and bell pepper and cook an additional minute or until pepper is slightly softened
  5. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, and salt and pepper and pour over the spinach mixture; tilting pan so that the eggs evenly cover the spinach mixture.
  6. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese.
  7. Bake in oven for 10-14 minutes or until puffed and set in the center.
  8. Cut the frittata in wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.