Jamie Oliver Spaghetti Frittata

Jamie Oliver’s spaghetti frittata is a baked pasta omelette: cooked spaghetti tossed with eggs and a homemade “peasto”, pressed into a pan and baked until puffed and golden. It serves 6, from his book ONE.

The clever twist is the peasto, Jamie’s budget-friendly pea pesto. Instead of the usual pine nuts and basil, he blitzes frozen peas with fresh mint, garlic and ground almonds (plus optional Cheddar), which is cheaper, greener and just as fragrant. Most of it is beaten through the eggs and spaghetti; the rest is dolloped on top to serve.

It comes from ONE, Jamie’s collection of simple recipes built around a single pan or tray, and also features in his £1 Wonders money-saving line. This one needs just a pot for the pasta, a processor for the peasto and one ovenproof frying pan.

Jamie Oliver Spaghetti Frittata

Recipe by Pinch Perfect

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

21

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

502

kcal

Total time

51

minutes

Jamie’s baked spaghetti frittata from ONE: cooked spaghetti bound with eggs and a homemade pea, mint and almond “peasto”, baked until puffed and golden. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 300g dried spaghetti

• 500g frozen peas

• 1 bunch of fresh mint (30g)

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 50g ground almonds

• optional: 75g Cheddar cheese, plus extra to serve

• extra virgin olive oil

• 6 large free-range eggs

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Directions

• Heat the oven: Preheat to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
• Cook the pasta: Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water per the packet, then drain and tip back into the pan.
• Make the peasto: Meanwhile, cook the peas per the packet (microwave or boiling salted water), then put in a food processor. Pick in the mint leaves, peel and add the garlic, and tip in the ground almonds. Break in the cheese, drizzle in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and blitz. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Combine: Toss most of the peasto into the spaghetti. Crack in the eggs, beat together with the peasto, then mix into the spaghetti with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Sizzle and bake: Put a 28cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a high heat. Tip in the spaghetti mixture, press down with a spatula and let it sizzle for 1 minute, then transfer to the oven for 25 minutes, until puffed up and golden.
• Serve: Carefully turn out and serve with dollops of the remaining peasto and a little extra grated cheese, if you like.

Notes

• (reserve some peasto): Keep back a few spoonfuls of peasto before mixing the rest into the eggs, so you have fresh dollops to serve on top.
• (the right pan): You need a 28cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan (check the handle is oven-safe to 220°C). The high-heat sizzle before baking sets the base so it turns out cleanly.
• (make it vegetarian or dairy-free): The Cheddar is optional. Use a vegetarian hard cheese to keep it vegetarian, or leave the cheese out entirely for a dairy-free version (it also makes it a touch cheaper).
• (serving): Jamie says it’s delicious with a zingy green salad on the side.

FAQs

What is “peasto”?

It’s Jamie’s playful name for a pea-based pesto, and it’s the heart of this dish. Instead of the classic basil-and-pine-nut pesto, he blitzes cooked frozen peas with fresh mint, garlic and ground almonds, loosened with extra virgin olive oil and, if you like, some Cheddar. The peas make it sweet, green and vivid; the mint keeps it fresh; the ground almonds give body in place of pricey pine nuts.

It’s deliberately economical, which is why the recipe sits in his money-saving line. Frozen peas and ground almonds cost a fraction of pine nuts and fresh basil, but the result is just as fragrant. The peasto does double duty here: most is beaten into the egg-and-spaghetti mixture to flavour the whole frittata, and the rest is spooned over the top at the end for a fresh hit. Any leftover peasto is also lovely stirred through plain pasta.

Can I use leftover cooked spaghetti?

Yes, and that’s part of the appeal of a pasta frittata, it’s a brilliant way to use up leftover cooked pasta. If you already have cooked spaghetti (or even another long or short pasta), you can skip cooking it fresh and just use roughly the same cooked weight. This makes the dish even quicker and more economical, turning yesterday’s pasta into today’s dinner.

If your leftover pasta is already sauced, go easy on seasoning and taste as you go. Plain cooked pasta is ideal here so the peasto flavour comes through. Jamie’s whole ONE philosophy leans on simple, resourceful cooking, and a frittata is the classic Italian trick for giving leftover pasta a delicious second life. Cold, fridge-firm spaghetti actually holds together well in the mix.

My frittata stuck to the pan. What went wrong?

Two things make it turn out cleanly. First, use a genuinely non-stick ovenproof pan, as an older pan with a worn coating is the usual culprit. Second, don’t skip the initial sizzle: pressing the mixture down and letting it cook on a high heat for a minute sets and lightly crisps the base before it goes in the oven, which helps it release.

When it’s baked and puffed, let it sit for a minute before turning out, then invert it confidently onto a board or plate in one movement. A thin flexible spatula run around and under the edge first helps loosen it. If a bit sticks, don’t panic; patch it and cover with dollops of peasto and extra cheese, which hide any imperfections. A drizzle of oil in the hot pan before adding the mixture adds extra insurance.

Can I make it ahead or eat it cold?

Yes, which makes it great for busy days, lunchboxes and picnics. Like most frittatas, it’s delicious hot, warm or at room temperature, so you can bake it ahead and serve it later without reheating. It holds its shape well once cooled, so it slices neatly into wedges for packing up or serving as part of a spread.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge and eat within a couple of days; bring to room temperature or warm gently before serving. The peasto topping is best added fresh if you’re serving it later, so keep any reserved peasto in a separate covered pot (a thin layer of oil on top keeps it green). Cold frittata is a genuinely good packed lunch, which suits the thrifty, no-waste spirit of the recipe.

Can I add other vegetables or change it up?

Absolutely, a frittata is endlessly adaptable and a great fridge-forager. You can fold extra cooked vegetables into the spaghetti mixture before baking: wilted spinach, cooked courgette, roasted peppers, leftover greens or halved cherry tomatoes all work well and stretch it further. Just don’t add anything too wet, or pat it dry first, so the frittata still sets.

The peasto itself can flex too: basil in place of (or alongside) the mint, a different hard cheese, or a squeeze of lemon for extra zing. You could scatter a little crumbled feta or extra Cheddar over the top before baking for a cheesier finish. Keep the core ratio of eggs to pasta the same so it holds together. It’s a forgiving, use-what-you’ve-got kind of dish.

What should I serve with it?

Jamie suggests a zingy green salad on the side, and that’s the ideal partner: something fresh, crisp and sharply dressed to cut through the rich, eggy frittata. Think rocket, little gem or mixed leaves with a lemony or mustardy vinaigrette. The acidity balances the dish beautifully.

Beyond a salad, it needs little else, as it’s a complete meal of carbs, protein and veg in one pan. For a bigger spread you could add some crusty bread, a tomato salad, or a few olives. It works for lunch, a light dinner or picnic food, served in generous wedges. A little extra grated cheese and the reserved dollops of peasto on top finish each plate. There’s more on the Jamie Oliver recipes page. (Hub slug to confirm.)