Italian Potato Frittata
One of the most traditional Italian recipes loved by kids and grown-ups. Learn all the tips and tricks to make perfect potato frittata every single time!
Italian potato frittata is one of the most traditional Italian recipes you can recreate.
Incredibly easy to make, with very simple ingredients, it's the go-to dish most Italian mums make on a busy weekday, and for loads of good reasons!
This simple everyday dish is cheap, it takes 30 minutes to make, and paired with a large green salad, makes a great vegetarian and gluten-free meal on its own.
Growing up in Italy, I've learned how to make a frittata very early on (thank, you mum!).
I've cooked loads of frittatas over the years, but growing up with my mum's tasty potato frittata (which she would make on a weekly basis), this is definitely my favorite.
So today I will be sharing all my favorite tips to make a perfect frittata every single time.
What is a Frittata?
There is not an exact translation for the Italian word frittata, but we could roughly translate it to "fried" in English.
Frittata is a traditional Italian egg-based dish, similar to the iconic French omelette and the equally famous Spanish tortilla.
Meats, cheese or vegetables are usually added into the mix, and is served often for lunch or dinner rather than breakfast.
Frittata VS Quiche
What’s the difference between a French quiche and an Italian frittata?
One of the most obvious differences is that the quiche has a crust base, although it’s not always the case, frittata instead has no crust at all, ever.
The filling is also different.
French quiche has an egg custard filling, made with eggs and milk ( or heavy cream).
On the other end, classic frittata has little milk, but usually, it doesn't have milk at all.
Ingredients
Like many Italian dishes, the classic potato frittata recipe calls for simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Potatoes: Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold are ideal. They hold their shape well during cooking and have a creamy texture. Avoid starchy potatoes like Russets.
- Eggs: opt for medium-large eggs.
- Cheese: Use freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, which you can omit to make this recipe dairy-free and vegetarian.
- Fresh herbs: Finely chopped parsley adds freshness and an extra layer of flavor.
How to make potato frittata
There are two different techniques to cook the frittata.
Some people prefer to cook frittata using the stovetop-to-oven skillet method.
However, if you want to follow the Italian way, you should cook it entirely on the stovetop.
This involves a little risk-taking, and flip the frittata in the skillet (that doesn’t always end well, honestly).
I use the two methods interchangeably, so I’ve added both.
Here below you can find step-by step pictures and the recipe overview, scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Peel and cube all the potatoes, boil them for 5 minutes, or until just tender.
STEP 2. Whisk the eggs with parsley and cheese (if using), this will give your frittata a nice fluffy texture.
STEP 3. Add in the potatoes and season the whole mixture generously with salt and pepper.
Although the classic recipe doesn't call for it, you can also add some finely sliced stir-fried red onions into your frittata mixture.
The key for a great frittata is a very hot no stick frying pan.
STEP 4. Heat a 6-inch (16 cm) skillet over medium-low heat, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Pour the mixture into the pan, and cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes.
When the surface of the frittata looks cooked through, the frittata is almost ready. Transfer the skillet (in this case, make sure you’re using a cast-iron skillet) into a hot oven and broil for 2 minutes.
Alternatively, you can go the traditional route, and flip the frittata.
- Place a plate on top of the frittata, and flip it on to the plate.
- Slide the frittata back into the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and slide the frittata onto a serving plate.
You can also make mini frittata to serve for breakfast or to dinner parties.
Simply pour the potato and egg mixture in a well-oiled muffin tin, and bake in a pre-heated oven to 180 C for about 20 minutes.
What to serve with frittata
You can serve classic frittata with potatoes with lots of different sides, from a simple green salad to roasted veggies.
You can even make a frittata sandwich, using ciabatta bread, lettuce or arugula leaves and sliced tomatoes.
Here are a few favourite sides that go super well with frittata:
- Eggplant Parmigiana
- Italian Caprese Pasta Salad
- Tuscan Panzanella Salad
- Bean and Quinoa Salad
- Sicilian Caponata - Aubergine Stew
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Italian Potato Frittata
Ingredients
- 500 g medium-large potatoes
- 6 eggs
- handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 60 g Grana Padano or Parmesan Cheese, grated, (optional)
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch large cubes.
- In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, boil the potatoes for about 5 min, until just tender.
- In the meantime, in a large bowl whisk the eggs until well combined, add in chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.
- Drain well the potatoes and add them into the bowl with the eggs. Fold in the cheese (if using) and lightly mix all ingredients.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat. Pour in the frittata mixture, making sure to distribute the potatoes evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Cover with a lid and cook for about 5-10 minutes, gently shaking the pan every now and then. When the frittata is easily pulled off from the bottom, is ready to be turned. Using a plate with the same diameter of the frittata, carefully put it on top and flip the frittata on the other side.
- Cook on the other side for a further 2-5 minutes, this time without the lid.
- When the frittata is fully cooked, remove from the pan and slide it gently onto a serving plate, and serve
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I’m confused about the pan size. This says to use a 16cm skillet. I did that but not even half the ingredients fit into a skillet of this size.
Hello is this dish ok to freeze please?
When I was little, my Nonna would make this for me, but we called it Potato Pie. When I went looking for a similar recipe, I found this one. It was amazing…Just like hers! It reminded me of her and the breakfasts we had together. Thank you so much for posting this! My son asks me to make it all the time now. I used Potatoes O’Brien and a little heavy cream in the eggs mixture. It was magnificent! Thank you again! 🤗
Would I be able to add sautéed kale? I’m always trying to sneak in veggies whenever possible.
Absolutely! Sauteed kale or spinach make a great and nutritious addition!
Another way odd flipping this would be to cover the pan with a plate, turn pan over while holding the plate down to the pan, then slide off the plate into the pan.
Yes that’s what the recipe states already!!!!
Fantastic recipe and instructions Andrea. Love that you provided a less-risky option for those of us whose flipping skills are hit and miss 😉 I'm often nervous that the center won't set, but I made this recipe with confidence the morning of a big family brunch and it was perfect!
I made mine Greek by adding chunks of my homemade gyro meat in cubes the same size as the potato, slices of grape tomatoes, red onion diced & precooked separately, & chiffonded spinach. I served w titzlichi sauce on the side, avalémonos soup & garlic bread. Perfect dinner. Love this easy prep frittata. Thank you!!
Made this frittata according to recipe using Texas muffin pan, so I cut the potato cubes slightly smaller. Had 6 perfect and tasty individually-portioned frittatas. NOTE though, there are some discrepancies between the intro instructions versus the recipe instructions: a) medium-low heat versus medium, b) 5 minutes covered vs 10 minutes, c) 2 min uncovered vs 5-7 min, and finally d) 2 minutes on broil in oven, vs 10-15 min at 375F. Regardless, great recipe. Thank you!
Hi Valentina, I'm so happy to hear you like the frittata! Thank you for your feedback, you're right, there were some discrepancies so I made sure to update the recipe 🙂
I’m looking for frittata recipes and I picked this one as the best. I would probably bake it instead because I don’t have that iron pan. How long and what temperature you think is good? Can I use these nonstick pan instead of iron pan? Appreciate your advice thank you.
Hi Sue, I'm so glad you picked this recipe, and I can guarantee it's my absolute favourite (and I'm Italian, so I grew up eating frittatas!). Non-stick pans unless specifically made for oven uses, cannot go in the oven, so you have two options: either make it the Italian way and use a non-stick pan over the hob, then place a plate to turn the frittata and put it back in the pan half-way through cooking time, or you can place the frittata mixture in a cake pan and bake it in the oven at 180C/360F for about 30 minutes (but check every 10 minutes to be sure). If you need any help or you have any questions, please send me a message on my Instagram so I can get back to you straight away!
Hello. I know it's been a while since you posted this wonderful recipe, but what size cake pan would you recommend for a 6 egg frittata?
Hi! For a classic frittata I recommend using a 9-10 inch pan. If you want a nice and high frittata you can use a 6-inch or 8-inch pan.
Thank you for the quick response!
Love to make these easy, 6 ingredient dishes! This one is gorgeous and I'm wishing I had it in front of me for breakfast right now! Just pinned...great recipe 🙂
I love frittatas! We often have them dinner too! It is really comfort food at it's finest! I didn't know that originally they had parmesan in them.
This looks absolutely delicious. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or tea and something the whole family would love!
Love that this is an easy recipe! Great photos btw!
Frittatas are always a hit in our house and this one looks so hearty and delicious. I love the idea of pairing it with a green salad and maybe a glass of chilled wine! Perfection.
This frittata is very similar to a Spanish potato omelette, this does sound incredible, and like you said the perfect midweek dinner, easy to make and cheap
So how many potatoes is 500 gr?
I want t9 make this tonight for the first night of Lent...
Hi Theresa, 500gr of potatoes are roughly 3 large potatoes, but make sure to weight them first 🙂
I’m a total chicken, I would need to finish this off under a grill. If I attempted to flip, it would be all over the kitchen floor!
I Love Potetos! So I think It's the perfect for me!
Love the simplicity of this recipe.
Great and easy filling breakfast with goodness of eggs and potatoes Love it any day. brings this simple classic dish make start of the day great
This is such a comforting meal and it need ingredients that are available in every pantry. Looks wonderful!
I love frittata.. and potato is always a great addition. I love how simple and quick this is to make. We a big potato eaters in our house so this would be awesome for our weekend breakfast.
I love frittatas. So easy & comforting, and they can be eaten any time of the day. Yours looks delicious!
Beautiful frittata. An easy meal that does well for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. My mamma and papà loved meals like this and so did I. I just don't make it often enough! That is about to change.
Aah, I want this dish so bad right now! I love potatoes and I love frittatas. I'll definitely be making this recipe soon! Beautiful photos too!
I love the simplicity of this recipe. I cant wait to try this dish on Sunday's breakfast.
Potatoes and eggs are a classic combination. I think every culture has a traditional dish or meal made with these two items. Your recipe seems easy enough to make even on a busy morning.
Such a beautiful dish! Looks hearty and satisfying - perfect for a family weekend breakfast or brunch!
Very nice twist to a frittata, I grew up enjoying Spanish Tortilla a la Espanola which is made with eggs and potatoes too. Perfect to eat as a meal or for appetizers and tapas. Yummy!
What a great dish. Perfect for brunch or dinner. I am a potato lover, and we often have eggs for dinner. This is a win win all the way around.
I love those big golden chunks of potatoes in there...this looks wonderful!
Cheap and fast, my kind of meal! We love potatoes, and my husband and daughters love eggs, so this is the perfect dish for our family.