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Ugh, you guys. This savory frittata pushes all the right buttons. Whether you make it for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, it’s an umami-lover’s dream. Don’t miss it.
Why we love this recipe
This savory frittata makes a great breakfast or brunch, sure, but also a stellar weeknight dinner or picnic contribution. I won’t lie — it has what pretty much amounts to hash browns right in the damn middle, plus shiitakes and garlic scapes and capers and parmesan or pecorino. I’d go on, but I’m at high risk of hyperventilating. (Also, that’s pretty much the whole ingredient list.)
I first published this recipe here back in 2016. I’ve updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same. And don’t miss my almost-famous Serious Eats post about garlic scapes.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Garlic scapes are the shoots that grow out of hard-neck garlic varieties early in the growing cycle. They have a pungent flavor when raw but quickly mellow when cooked. (And they’re great both ways.) If you don’t have any, you can substitute one minced shallot plus three minced garlic cloves.
- Shiitakes are packed with rich umami flavor and have a nice low moisture content.
- Yukon gold or other gold-fleshed potatoes have a great balance of creaminess and starch. You can really use any potato variety in this recipe.
- I like to use heavy cream for a bit of richness, but whole milk or half and half are fine here too.
- You can use parmesan or pecorino, whichever you’ve got on hand.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a great savory frittata. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the scapes and shiitakes in some of the butter, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add some more butter and cook the shredded potatoes in the same pan, then remove and set aside.
- Beat the eggs with the cream and pepper. Add the remaining butter to the pan and pour in the egg mixture. Distribute the capers and the vegetable mixture throughout the eggs without disturbing the bottom. Sprinkle on the cheese.
- Bake in the center of a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, until set. Cool slightly before serving.
Expert tips and FAQs
This veggie- and protein-packed one-pan meal is great warm, at room temperature, or even chilled. You can cut it into wedges and serve it straight out of the pan, or make it a day or two before. Nestle a nice piece of it inside a baguette and toss some greens, sliced tomato, and/or prosciutto on top. There’s really no going wrong.
Leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. You can reheat them before serving, but you don’t have to.
More favorite frittatas
- How to make a frittata
- Broccolini, cheddar, and bacon
- Corn, cheddar, and spinach
- Broccoli and shiitakes
- Make it a sandwich
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Super-Savory Frittata with Potato, Shiitake and Garlic Scapes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter, divided
- 10 garlic scapes, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 10 ounces (283 grams) sliced shiitakes
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, grated
- ¼ cup (35 grams) capers
- 8 eggs
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
- ½ cup 2 ounces grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F with a rack in the center.
- Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a large, oven-safe nonstick frying pan set over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced garlic scapes and cook, stirring once or twice, for one minute.
- Add the sliced shiitakes and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Scrape skillet contents into a bowl and set aside.
- Melt another tablespoon of the butter in the same frying pan. Add the grated potatoes in a single layer and sprinkle with remaining salt. Leave them alone for a few minutes to develop a bit of browning on the bottom, then stir as needed to cook through without sticking. Add potatoes to bowl with scapes and shiitakes.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, pour in cream, grind in the black pepper, and scramble.
- Melt the final tablespoon of butter in the frying pan and pour in egg mixture. Sprinkle in capers.
- Return potatoes, scapes, and shiitakes to frying pan, distributing it all evenly around the pan without disturbing the bottom of the eggs.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly overtop.
- Cook for a minute on the stovetop, then transfer to oven.
- Bake until eggs are set, 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges to serve.
Notes
- Garlic scapes are the shoots that grow out of hard-neck garlic varieties early in the growing cycle. They have a pungent flavor when raw but quickly mellow when cooked. (And they’re great both ways.) If you don’t have any, you can substitute one minced shallot plus three minced garlic cloves.
- Shiitakes are packed with rich umami flavor and have a nice low moisture content.
- Yukon gold or other gold-fleshed potatoes have a great balance of creaminess and starch. You can really use any potato variety in this recipe.
- I like to use heavy cream for a bit of richness, but whole milk or half and half are fine here too.
- You can use parmesan or pecorino, whichever you’ve got on hand.
- Frittatas are a great make-ahead meal. You can serve this warm, at room temperature, or even chilled.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hungry for more?
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