Frittata

Frittata is a thick, open-faced omelette started on the stove and finished under the broiler, sliced into wedges rather than folded. It's Italy's answer to a Spanish tortilla — closer in spirit to a set custard than to the thin, folded French omelette its name sounds related to.

What it actually is

Beaten eggs, loosened with a splash of milk and grated parmesan, are poured over a pan of already-cooked filling — sautéed onion, vegetables, cheese or cured meat — and cooked slowly over low heat until the edges and base set. Rather than folding it, the pan goes under a hot broiler or into the oven briefly to set the top, so the whole thing cooks through evenly without ever needing to be flipped.

That's the real difference from a French omelette: a frittata is built to be sliced into wedges and eaten at room temperature just as often as hot, which a soft, just-set French omelette was never designed to survive.

How it's served

• Cut into wedges, straight from the pan.
• Hot, warm or at room temperature — it travels and holds far better than a folded omelette.
• As a light lunch or brunch dish, often alongside bread and a salad.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag egg and dairy; the eggs and cheese carry both.
• Name the filling, since frittata varies widely by what's cooked into it.
• Say if it's served warm or at room temperature, since both are genuinely traditional.
• It's naturally vegetarian when made without meat; note plainly if a filling adds it.