The Spinach-Dill-Walnut-Onion Frittata

By Natalie Eve Garrett May 8, 2013

My mother-in-law flies in for a visit just once a year, and I’d planned to cook up all sorts of delights for her. For her last night here, I thought I’d make a frittata — and not just any frittata, but an amazing one with leeks and fennel and dill and ahhh it’s so good. I’ll share it with you soon, I promise! I often make it when I have guests coming in the springtime and want to make something that I can prepare partially in advance and then throw in the oven at the last minute so that they arrive to a house filled with a beautifully savory-sweet smell.

But, one thing led to another, and suddenly it was 5:30 p.m. on my MIL’s last night here, I was just back from a run in the rain, my toddler was hungry, my infant was starting to fuss … and I still had giant fennel bulbs to chop and leeks to unfurl and scrub.

So, I made this instead.

Do you ever throw ingredients together without considering whether the combination makes any sense, and then afterward, once it’s too late, Google a list of the ingredients in the hopes of reassuring yourself that yes, this is actually a thing — a thing that someone once enjoyed enough to want to share it with you?

As it turns out, this wonderful combination is, in fact, a thing. Or, a version of a thing! And I know it took fewer than 20 minutes to throw together, because it was in the oven for shorter than a “Dora the Explorer” episode. Everyone loved it, and it did seem special and unlike anything I’d had before. I used frozen spinach, which of course is ready in a flash, but the onion, garlic, and dill gave it a fresh-from-the-garden taste. And the walnuts were the real kick — they offered an unexpected bit of texture and meatiness.

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Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

3–5 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like your food — I like to use a lot!), minced

2 cups spinach (frozen or fresh and finely chopped)

1 cup fresh dill (or 2 tsp dry dill, though fresh is sooo much better), stems removed and roughly chopped

7–8 large eggs

½ cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup walnut halves and pieces

salt and pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup feta (optional tangy deliciousness)

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Rub a 10”-ish baking dish with olive oil, and set aside.

2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for a few minutes in olive oil. Add in the spinach, garlic, and walnuts, and saute a minute or two more.

3. In a big bowl, beat the eggs, then add the yogurt and stir. Add in the contents of the skillet, plus the fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper. Crumble in pieces of feta, if you want cheese in yours.

4. Scrape the mixture into your baking dish. Bake 35–40 minutes, until it’s golden brown and set. This is great hot from the oven or at room temperature. I like it for dinner or brunch, with a simple salad and maybe some crusty bread. Yes.