The idea to combine these three powerful flavours came from a lunch I had at Highroad – a fave local cafe. They served it in the form of poached eggs with pesto, broccolini and dried olive crumbs.

And while that was amazing, I like my frittata better because it feels more substantial and dinnerish.

I’ve baked it in a rectangular pyrex dish because I like how it looks, but you could easily use a round 20cm (8in) springform pan or a 20cm (8in) oven proof frying pan instead.

enough for: 2
takes: 30 minutes
6 eggs
120g pesto (4 heaped tablespoons) + extra
100g (3.5oz) feta, crumbled
2 handfuls black olives, pitted (100g / 3.5oz)
salad, to serve

1. Turn your oven on to 200C (400F). Grease and line a rectangular oven proof dish (mine was 20x25cm / 8x10in dimensions) or a round 20cm (8in) springform pan or a 20cm (8in) oven proof frying pan. If using a non stick pan no need to line it with paper.

2. Mix eggs and pesto a big pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour egg mixture into your prepared pan. Scatter over olives and feta.

3. Bake frittata for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is set and the frittata feels firm and springy. Serve hot or at room temp with salad and extra pesto if desired.

WINE MATCH: A spicy Shiraz.

Variations & Substitutions

dairy-free – replace feta with roast walnuts, cashews or other nut. And use dairy-free pesto.

more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with crusty bread or boiled or roast potatoes.

more substantial (low carb) – extra pesto or add roast nuts. Serve with more substantial low carb veg.

herby – a little chopped chives or thyme are lovely with the eggs.

no olives – just skip them or replace with sun dried tomatoes, grilled red peppers, walnuts or extra feta.

different cheese – parmesan, brie, camembert or cheddar.

no pesto – replace with a 250G (9oz) pack of frozen spinach that has been defrosted and squeezed dry.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

eggs – will keep in the fridge for weeks or use for another meal.

pesto – commercial jars of pesto will keep for months in the pantry. Fresh pesto will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Cover with olive oil to prevent exposure to air and browning reactions.

feta – keeps for months unopened in its packet. Or can be frozen. Or you could make a marinated feta by putting it in a super clean jar from the dishwasher and covering with oil and then keeping it in the fridge. Sometimes I like to add flavourings like bay leaves, lemon zest and pepper corns or chilli.

olives – store in the pantry.

salad leaves – store sealed bag in the fridge. If buying loose leaves, wash and spin dry in a salad spinner then wrap loosely in paper towel and place inside plastic bag. Push out most of the air and seal. Store in the fridge.

Prepare Ahead

You can but I prefer my frittata warm from the oven! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Don’t freeze.