BAKED ASPARAGUS FRITTATA RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch pie pan or ceramic quiche dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, tapping out the excess.
• Snap tough ends off asparagus. Slice off the top 2 inches of the tips and reserve. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch-long slices.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add water and the asparagus stalks to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the asparagus is tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes (the mixture should be very dry). Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the vegetables in an even layer in the prepared pan.
• Whisk eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Add ricotta, parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; whisk to blend. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, gently shaking the pan to distribute. Scatter the reserved asparagus tips over the top and sprinkle with Gruyere.
• Bake the frittata until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place asparagus in a large plastic bag. Drizzle half the olive oil over the asparagus, seal the bag and shake until asparagus is coated evenly with the olive oil. If necessary, add only enough of the remaining olive oil to coat the asparagus. Place the asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet, season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender or crunchy depending upon your preference, about 12 to 20 minutes.
• Tips: (Shortcut chef) Toss asparagus with oil, salt and pepper as directed below and store in refrigerator until you're ready to bake it off. Get into the habit of spending 5 to 15 minutes prepping tonight or tomorrow's dinner during the day and you will be eating in more than out. The weight will come off quicker with home cooked healthful meals and you know it.
• Tip: From mom's lips to your ears: You forgot to tell them to snap off the woody bottoms. Tell em to hold asparagus, one at a time, in their hands near the cut end and snap it like kindling. Mother Nature saw to it that the asparagus breaks in just the right spot, save the ends for stock.
• Morph: Serve one other simple veggie side and a piece of oven baked fish such as salmon and dinner is all done. Cook off extra asparagus and throw it into a frittata, polenta, or pasta later in the week.
• If the Queen's coming for dinner, toss cooked asparagus with fresh lemon, plate and garnish with thin curls of Parmesan.
• Tip: Asparagus starts losing its sweetness the minute it's cut, therefore, as always, look for the freshest stalks possible. Skins should be smooth and bright colored with tightly formed heads.