Honeynut Squash, Red Onion + Sage Frittata
I don’t usually think “ooh yes I want a frittata” because nearly always, the results feel dense and uninspired. Happily, I can no longer say that. Enter a frittata you’ll want to make and eat anytime of day, and carry you through the year. No matter what ingredients you swap in, it’s always a hit. This autumn-themed bake is delicious and a cinch to make, an adapted baked custard recipe that appears in my book, A Year at Catbird Cottage. Brought hot from the oven it is dazzling, puffy, and golden. Use any winter squash if you cannot find honeynut, and follow the same instructions below. Serve this frittata alongside a zippy salad and you have a perfect meal.
Honeynut Squash, Red Onion + Sage Frittata
INGREDIENTS
5 tbsp ap flour
zest from 1 Meyer lemon (use regular if you can’t find Meyer)
2/3 cup whole milk
4 eggs
2 tbsp salted butter, plus 1 tsp, cubed
1-2 very small squash, such as honeynut, peeled, seeds and any stringy bits scooped out, and sliced into ¼-inch wedges
1 small red onion, peeled, ends trimmed, and sliced into 6 wedges
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
7-9 sage leaves
6 oz goat cheese, broken into chunks
extra virgin olive oil for roasting
flaky salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425° and place a heavy 9” enameled skillet or Pyrex baking dish on the lower oven rack.
Toss the squash and onion wedges in a generous drizzle of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Season with salt and roast on the upper oven rack, placed at the middle position in the oven, for 15-18 minutes or until golden in parts and softened. Cool on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, salt, pepper, zest, and milk. Add the eggs and beat vigorously until frothy.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and add 2 tablespoons butter. It should sizzle immediately on contact. Swirl the butter around the pan and along the sides to coat, then carefully but swiftly pour the egg mixture into the pan. Fan the squash slices and nestle the red onion wedges into the batter. It’s okay if they slide around as you place them. Arrange the goat cheese chunks and sage leaves. Use the remaining cubed butter to dot sage leaves. Season with black pepper and bake for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden at the edges, and fragrant. Slice into wedges and serve.