ASPARAGUS FRITTATA WITH BURRATA & HERB PESTO

IT'S HOT OUTSIDE, and I mean 28 degrees in London with no access to a pool kinda hot, and with that the perfect time for light yet delicious meals that make the most of seasonal produce. 

This frittata recipe immediately caught my eye - far from your average boring egg heavy frittata with its fragrant herb pesto dressing and burrata centre piece. The original recipe calls for green asparagus, which of course is in season right now and can be found at almost every supermarket. 

I used white asparagus instead (or spargel as we call it in Germany) which is a total nightmare to find in London and ridiculously expensive, I think around £30 a kilo, because no one eats it in the country but I grew up with it around every spring time in the region I am from in Germany so had a yearning for it and deciding to treat myself and make a very luxury version of the dish, though as I said green British asparagus will also work a total treat in this! 

Make this on a balmy Sunday afternoon and enjoy it outdoors with a side of olive bread and that proper French butter with salt crystals. We may not be going on foreign holidays this year but this got me pretty close feeling like I was!

Serves 2 as main 

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch medium asparagus, tough bottoms removed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup basil leaves, plus a few small basil leaves for garnish
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ball of fresh burrata, about 1/2 pound, at room temperature (I swear by Waitrose's excellent and very affordable version)


METHOD

• Rinse asparagus, and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal, or into julienne strips if preferred. Set aside.
• In blender or small food processor, purée olive oil, basil and parsley to make a thin pesto. 
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Put a nonstick oven proof frying pan over medium-high heat. 
• When hot, add butter and swirl to coat pan, then add asparagus. 
• Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring for about a minute without browning.
• Quickly pour in eggs and stir with a wooden spoon, as if making scrambled eggs. 
• Tilt pan and lift mixture at the edges to allow any runny egg from the top to make its way to the bottom. 
• After 3 or 4 minutes, the frittata should be mostly set. 
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the oven for around 5 minutes at 180c until fully set.
• Set whole burrata in the centre of frittata. 
• Drizzle with herb pesto. 
• Pierce burrata with tip of a knife and spoon contents over frittata.
• Garnish with basil leaves and enjoy!