Frittata with Ham and Asparagus
This Frittata with Ham and Asparagus is the perfect Spring meal! Ready in just 20 minutes and full of 23 grams of protein. AND you can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. See, like I said… perfection!
I originally shared this recipe on April 5, 2012. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Asparagus and Ham Fritatta
This simple one-pan frittata is an ideal way to make a savory entree for breakfast, brunch or dinner with springtime ingredients: fresh eggs, asparagus, leeks and ham. We have topped it with Gouda cheese too!
Try our Mushroom Frittata too!
It makes a great main course for a weekend brunch or cut it into small portions to serve on a holiday breakfast buffet. My family happily gobbled it up for dinner, and I loved the left-overs for breakfast.
It is great with a simple salad of spring lettuces dressed with lemon vinaigrette or chive oil salad dressing or our Roasted Red Potato Wedges.
More Savory Brunch Dishes
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Large leek, diced and washed. Here’s how to clean leeks
- Asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Ham: This is a great way to use leftover Easter Ham too!
- Large eggs: Beyond being a great source of protein, eggs are a good source of vitamins A and D. Not only that, they have Vitamin B, lutein and zeaxanthin.
- Shredded Gouda or sharp cheddar cheese
- Seasonings: Salt and ground pepper or white pepper plus a little nutmeg
How To Make Asparagus Fritatta
Step 1: Sautee Leek and Asparagus
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek, asparagus and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until bright green and just starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and stir in ham. Wash and dry skillet.
Step 2: Cook Eggs
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with the pepper and nutmeg. Return the skillet to medium-low heat and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and swirl the pan to coat with oil. Gently pour in the eggs and let cook, gently scraping the egg with a silicone spatula. Fold the cooked part of the egg back and allow runny egg to flow onto the surface of the hot skillet just until the egg starts to set up into a solid mass, 2 to 3 minutes. [The egg will still be runny on top, but continuing to stir would cause it to break into pieces at this point.]
Step 3: Add Asparagus and Ham To Eggs
Spread the asparagus mixture over the eggs and continue cooking until the sides of the egg can be pulled back from the skillet with the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 4: Melt Cheese on Top
Sprinkle cheese over the frittata. Lift an edge of the egg back and drizzle 2 tablespoons water between the egg and skillet, cover the skillet and cook until the egg is set up on top and the cheese is melted, 4 to 5 minutes.
FAQs
Leftovers can be kept on a plate or platter covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Or you can place wedges of the frittata into resealable containers. Keep refrigerated up to 3 days. Eat cold or reheat
Place a wedge on a microwave safe plate and cover with parchment or paper towel. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Alternatively you can reheat in a non stick skillet, covered, over medium low heat with a little bit of water to keep it moist. Heat until steaming hot and the cheese starts to melt again.
Variations To Try
- Instead of ham you can use crumbled cooked bacon or cooked sausage
- Instead of leeks add in fresh chives at the end or chopped green onion or scallions
- Add a little additional seasoning to the eggs like Mrs Dash or a salt-free herb blend
- Use another cheese such as Fontina, Gruyere, Swiss or Havarti
More Asparagus Recipes
- Turn on the grill for Grilled Asparagus or try my Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise or Pesto.
- This One Pot Chicken and Rice with Spring Veggies is bursting with asparagus and peas.
- This Sesame Roasted Asparagus Salad elevates basic roasted asparagus with the addition of Asian Sesame Dressing.
- This Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese Salad is a vegetarian entree salad to try this spring.
- This Shaved Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts is made with raw asparagus cut into ribbons with a veggie peeler.
- This Asparagus Panzanella with a Poached Egg on top is another spring brunch entree to consider.
- Find more asparagus recipe ideas here and please check out my guide to asparagus.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Frittata with Ham and Asparagus
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Frittata with Ham and Asparagus is the perfect Spring meal! Ready in just 20 minutes, only 297 calories per serving, chocked full of 23 grams of protein and super kid friendly. AND you can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. See, like I said… perfection!
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large leek, diced and washed (see tip*)
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup diced smoked ham
- 6 large eggs
- pinch ground pepper, preferably white pepper
- Pinch nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
- 3/4 cup shredded Gouda or sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek, asparagus and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until bright green and just starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl and stir in ham. Was and dry skillet.
- Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with the pepper and nutmeg. Return the skillet to medium-low heat and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and swirl the pan to coat with oil. Gently pour in the eggs and let cook, gently scraping the egg with a silicone spatula. Fold the cooked part of the egg back and allow runny egg to flow onto the surface of the hot skillet just until the egg starts to set up into a solid mass, 2 to 3 minutes. [The egg will still be runny on top, but continuing to stir would cause it to break into pieces at this point.] Spread the asparagus mixture over the eggs and continue cooking until the sides of the egg can be pulled back from the skillet with the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the frittata. Lift an edge of the egg back and drizzle 2 tablespoons water between the egg and skillet, cover the skillet and cook until the egg is set up on top and the cheese is melted, 4 to 5 minutes.
Notes
Tip* To Clean a Leek: Cut off dark outer greens leaving just the white and light green part. Slice lengthwise, and then slice into strips crosswise. Tansfer to a bowl of cold water and swish around to get all the dirt out from between the layers. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Lift the clean leek out leaving the sand at the bottom of the bowl. Lay out on a towel to dry.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 frittata
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 639
- Fat: 21
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 23
Forgot to rate it!
One of our favorite spring dinners when we are looking for something light. I can get lazy sometimes and it ends up being a scrambled egg omelet, but with all these ingredients. Great flavor.