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You are here: Home / frittata / Creamy Pasta Frittata with Hatfield® Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Creamy Pasta Frittata with Hatfield® Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese

March 14, 2017 By Laura 66 Comments

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Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese is a delicious breakfast or brunch centerpiece, and drizzled with balsamic vinegar it makes a light and elegant dinner entree.

Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese, drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar

When I was asked to create a recipe using Hatfield Quality Meats bacon, I was immediately intrigued by their Cherrywood Extra Thick Cut Triple Smoked Bacon. As far as I am concerned, the thicker the better when it comes to bacon (having said that, their Classic Sliced Bacon would work fine in this recipe too if thinner is what floats your boat). And having always loved apple-wood smoked bacon, I could not help but be curious about cherrywood.

Delicious. Man, I love bacon.

Hatfield Cherrywood Smoked Extra Thick Cut Triple Smoked Bacon

For me personally, when I hear Easter, I think eggs. So, when I was thinking of a recipe that features Hatfield® bacon, my first thought was quiche, and indeed this dish is heavily influenced by quiche, but since returning home from Italy, I have been obsessed with pasta frittata. Now in Italy, from what I saw, some form of tomato is often included in the pasta frittata (such as tomato sauce or paste), but I wanted cream to emphasize the similarity to quiche, which just strikes me as more of an Easter brunch dish. So, think of this as a hybrid. A delicious fusion of the two.

Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese

One of the great purposes of frittatas is, of course, to use up leftovers. Now as it happened, I did not use leftovers for this dish because I was creating the recipe. But the pasta, roasted asparagus or bacon could all be leftover or made in advance (although be sure to reserve the bacon grease, which I always do anyway–it lasts forever in an airtight container in the freezer). For that matter, the mushrooms could also be cooked in advance, although it would be rare for me to have just plain sautéed mushrooms leftover. And if it seems like too much, get rid of the mushrooms. Personally, I like rustic one pot dishes brimming with veggies, and mushrooms harmonize perfectly here.

Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar

If I had to guess, the Aceto Balsamico (balsamic vinegar in Italian–and I spell it that way because you want to make sure to be using a good quality balsamico here) might strike some of you as odd. First, if it just seems too weird, have the pasta frittata without it. It is delicious either way. But second, don’t be too quick to write it off! The syrupy sweet and sour balsamic is a perfect counterpoint to the smoky, salty bacon and relatively bland eggs. All four of us preferred the balsamic vinegar on the frittata.

Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar

5 from 1 vote
Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese
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Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Delicious on its own, this quiche-frittata hybrid is even better drizzled with a good quality balsamic vinegar. 

 Any of the pasta, bacon or asparagus can be made in advance and leftovers used, in which case note that you should reserve the bacon grease after cooking the bacon. The instructions assume that you are making all of the components for this dish.

If you are adapting or substituting in this dish, I highly recommend adding the bacon and green onions close to last. The green onions so they do not cook much, and the bacon so that it is only partially covered by the eggs, and therefore stays crispier.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Entree
Servings: 8 servings
Author: The Spiced Life
Ingredients
  • 3 oz dried pasta, cooked in salted boiling water
  • about 10 oz untrimmed asparagus, bottom ends trimmed, roasted in olive oil, salt and pepper, and then cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 T Balsamic vinegar, divided (basic, inexpensive balsamic is what you want here)
  • 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and roughly chopped, such as Hatfield Quality Meats Cherrywood Smoked Extra Thick Cut Triple Smoked Bacon
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 1-2 T reserved bacon grease
  • 3 green onions, chopped, whites and greens separated
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
  • flaky sea salt for sprinkling
  • Good quality Aceto Balsamico for drizzling
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

  2. Begin by starting the water boiling for the pasta. While the pasta cooks, begin the asparagus. When the pasta is done, rinse briefly with cold water to prevent sticking.

  3. Clean the asparagus and break off the bottom ends. Gently pat dry, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  4. Roast the asparagus until it is browned and tender. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of inexpensive balsamic vinegar. Let it cool for a minute or 2, and then remove to a cutting board and cut into bite sized pieces.

  5. When the asparagus is done, lower the oven temperature to 350 F.

  6. While the pasta is cooking and the asparagus is roasting, fry the bacon in batches in a cast iron (enameled is fine) 12-inch skillet. Periodically drain the pan of bacon grease and reserve the grease in a small bowl.

  7. When the bacon is done, add 3/4 cup water and 1-2 tablespoons inexpensive balsamic vinegar to the pan to deglaze it and scrape up all of the yummy bacon bits. Let the water boil off.

  8. When the water is mostly evaporated, add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Add a teaspoon or 2 of bacon grease. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked.

  9. Toward the end, add the chopped whites of the green onions to the mushrooms and fry them a bit.

  10. While the mushrooms are cooking, place the eggs and cream in a deep bowl. I used the whisk attachment of an immersion blender; whatever you use, vigorously whisk the eggs and cream until they have lightened and thickened a bit. Whisk in a pinch of salt and some freshly cracked black pepper.

  11. When the mushrooms are finishing cooking, use a heat-proof brush to brush bacon grease around the sides of the skillet. Add a tad more grease to the pan if the mushrooms seem dry.

  12. Spread the cooked pasta over the mushrooms.

  13. Sprinkle the roasted asparagus evenly over the pasta.

  14. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese evenly over the asparagus.

  15. Sprinkle the chopped bacon over the asparagus and goat cheese evenly.

  16. Sprinkle 2/3 of the remaining chopped green onions over the bacon, and then pour the whisked eggs and cream over everything.

  17. Sprinkle the frittata with flaky sea salt and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set, the edges are puffy and coming away from the edges of the pan, and a knife inserted into the center of the frittata comes out mostly clean (try to avoid the goat cheese blobs).

  18. Sprinkle the remaining green onions over the frittata.

  19. Let the frittata set for 5 minutes before slicing. 

  20. Drizzle with a high quality Aceto Balsamico if desired.

 

Looking for a collage to pin?

Creamy Pasta Frittata with Bacon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar

 

Will you use bacon in your Easter dishes this year?

Filed Under: asparagus, bacon, balsamic, breakfast, eggs, frittata, mushrooms, quiche/savory tarts Tagged With: asparagus, bacon, brunch, cherrywood bacon, Easter, eggs, frittata, goat cheese, mushrooms, pasta frittata, spaghetti frittata

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Comments

  1. Denise L says

    March 20, 2017 at 5:59 pm

    I will! I made a bacon-lattice topped quiche last year for Easter Brunch. I have a feeling it’s going to become a tradition.

    Reply
  2. Denise L says

    March 20, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    tweeted – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/843944798121836545

    Reply
  3. Jeffrey says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:31 am

    I always add bacon to my macaroni and cheese along with broccoli and caramelized onions. We also wrap asparagus in bacon.

    Reply
  4. Jeffrey says

    March 21, 2017 at 8:31 am

    I tweeted: https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/844164591454208000.

    Reply
  5. Nicole Martin says

    March 21, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    I will make bacon for Easter brunch!

    Reply
  6. Tamra H says

    March 21, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    I love bacon. Would be totally down to use it in my Easter recipes this year – would be a hit for sure!

    Reply
  7. Tamra H says

    March 21, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    tweet: https://twitter.com/Twenteries/status/844239152438652928

    Reply
  8. Mita says

    March 22, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    Yes, we use it in Easter recipes.

    Reply
  9. Mita says

    March 22, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    tweet- https://twitter.com/mitajdav/status/844617367875469314

    Reply
  10. Natalie says

    March 23, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    I use lots of bacon on Easter! I add bacon to my mashed potatoes, egg quiche and I also do bacon wrapped pork tenderloins.

    Reply
  11. Natalie says

    March 23, 2017 at 8:11 pm

    tweet – https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/845063919894974464

    Reply
  12. aaron reck says

    March 23, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    https://twitter.com/areck0001/status/845100697746071552 I tweeted. Thanks so much. I think that bacon and saparagus with some goat cheesse would be ooohhhhhhhhhhhh so good! Lol Yummy. I like all the mixed flavors of the meal. 5 star.

    Reply
  13. LAMusing says

    March 25, 2017 at 5:22 pm

    No special Easter meal this year – but I love bacon on my mac-n-cheese! And bacon wrapped shrimp is delicious!

    Reply
  14. LAMusing says

    March 25, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    tweet – https://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/845747972369395712

    Reply
  15. Susan Smith says

    March 25, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    I won’t be using bacon in my main dish because I’m making lasagna but I will make bacon for Easter breakfast.

    Reply
  16. Susan Smith says

    March 25, 2017 at 8:08 pm

    https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/845789347366518785

    Reply
  17. CR Williams says

    March 27, 2017 at 11:37 pm

    I am not too sure but thinking about it!!

    Reply
  18. CR Williams says

    March 27, 2017 at 11:38 pm

    https://twitter.com/mommysweetiepie/status/846567012981624832

    Reply
  19. Rebecca W says

    March 28, 2017 at 10:05 pm

    I love to make a large batch of bacon in the oven to crumble into salads or over eggs for breakfast! You never know when you might need it!

    Reply
  20. Rebecca W says

    March 28, 2017 at 10:05 pm

    https://mobile.twitter.com/Michael64263870/status/846906132337770496

    Reply
  21. Marsha says

    March 29, 2017 at 3:38 am

    5 stars
    I love bacon! I will bake off a couple of sheet pans, so there’s enough to use for that tempting looking frittata recipe, as well as use in pasta dishes, or simply on a bacon cheeseburger.

    Reply
  22. elizabeth pergande says

    March 30, 2017 at 1:06 pm

    We add bacon as a topping to almost anything so yes! I will be topping bacon on my potatoes that I make this year.

    Reply
  23. elizabeth pergande says

    March 30, 2017 at 1:07 pm

    https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/847494998698336256

    Reply
  24. Vincent says

    March 30, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    Yes, we’ll use some bacon in our deviled eggs.

    Reply
  25. Vincent says

    March 30, 2017 at 5:43 pm

    tweeted
    https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/847564882908069888

    Reply
  26. Chrissy says

    March 30, 2017 at 9:11 pm

    I’m not sure if I will use bacon in our easter dishes because our main dish is ham. That being said, I’m pretty sure I use bacon on everything! I was making roasted brussel sprouts with bacon regularly and one day I didn’t have bacon so I made them without any and my husband really didn’t want to eat them!

    Reply
  27. Chrissy says

    March 30, 2017 at 9:12 pm

    Tweet! https://twitter.com/krisgan07/status/847617490872029184

    Reply
  28. Madonna says

    March 31, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    We will be using bacon as part of our sunrise services

    Reply
  29. Madonna says

    March 31, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    link to tweet
    https://twitter.com/avrilsgranny/status/847880410365399041

    Reply
  30. kwaiping yip says

    March 31, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    4 stars
    I will! I will use it in my salads, and also on my eggs!

    Reply
  31. kwaiping yip says

    March 31, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    4 stars
    tweeted https://twitter.com/go2kauai/status/847880680243687425

    Reply
  32. Jessie C. says

    March 31, 2017 at 5:18 pm

    I would make slow cooker creamed corn with bacon.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

    Reply
  33. Linda C says

    April 4, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    Yes I use bacon in my Quiche I make Easter morning.

    Reply
  34. Linda C says

    April 4, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    Tweet https://twitter.com/Lindiac/status/849341866432761856

    Reply
  35. Jessica Beard says

    April 4, 2017 at 4:41 pm

    I use bacon in a layer salad I make for Easter dinner. It is delicious! Can’t go wrong with bacon!

    Reply
  36. Jessica Beard says

    April 4, 2017 at 4:42 pm

    https://twitter.com/JBeard25/status/849361369094926338

    Reply
  37. Madeline says

    April 4, 2017 at 7:18 pm

    We often use bacon in green beans or macaroni and cheese.

    Reply
  38. Madeline says

    April 4, 2017 at 7:45 pm

    Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/849407454920273921

    Reply
  39. CR Williams says

    April 7, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    I am not too sure but I am definitely inspired to now.

    Reply
  40. CR Williams says

    April 7, 2017 at 1:38 pm

    https://twitter.com/mommysweetiepie/status/850402330558185473

    Reply
  41. Cheryl B says

    April 9, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    I always use bacon in my baked beans at Easter time.

    Reply
  42. Cheryl B says

    April 9, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    https://mobile.twitter.com/undefined/status/851224359939301376

    Reply
  43. Carolsue says

    April 10, 2017 at 3:12 am

    Yes. I will be making a Sunday Brunch Casserole that uses lots of bacon — plus cheese, hashbrowns, etc.
    Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

    Reply
  44. Madonna says

    April 14, 2017 at 11:17 am

    I will most likely use some bacon for my Easter cooking

    Reply
  45. Madonna says

    April 14, 2017 at 11:17 am

    link to tweet
    https://twitter.com/avrilsgranny/status/852903689111175168

    Reply
  46. sarah k says

    April 14, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    I might add some bacon to a pea & mushroom side dish I’m thinking of making.

    Reply
  47. sarah k says

    April 14, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    I tweeted: https://twitter.com/sarabird26/status/852982911615856641

    Reply
  48. Jessie C. says

    April 14, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    tweet- https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/853032168859197441

    Reply
  49. Thomas Murphy says

    April 15, 2017 at 12:59 am

    I am going out to dinner for Easter.

    Reply
  50. Thomas Murphy says

    April 15, 2017 at 1:00 am

    tweeted
    https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/853110720413802496

    Reply
  51. Lisa Brown says

    April 15, 2017 at 3:44 am

    I do not eat bacon, I will be going out to eat.

    Reply
  52. Lisa Brown says

    April 15, 2017 at 3:45 am

    -https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/853152204898705408

    Reply
  53. mami2jcn says

    April 15, 2017 at 9:41 am

    We’re making bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer.

    Reply
  54. Julie Wood says

    April 15, 2017 at 10:35 am

    5 stars
    Yes, I will be putting crumbled bacon in my twice baked potatoes recipe this year for Easter dinner.

    Reply
  55. Julie Wood says

    April 15, 2017 at 10:36 am

    tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/853255582114906113

    Reply
  56. mami2jcn says

    April 15, 2017 at 11:41 am

    tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/853271958477295616

    Reply
  57. heather says

    April 15, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    I will not be using bacon in any of our Easter dishes I may put some bacon bits on a salad.

    Reply
  58. heather says

    April 15, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    https://twitter.com/myway070/status/853329545478393856

    Reply
  59. Steve Weber says

    April 15, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    We will use bacon in the mashed potatoes this year.

    groogruking40 @ gmail dot com

    Reply
  60. Steve Weber says

    April 15, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    tweet- https://twitter.com/groogruxking40/status/853392656847826949

    Reply
  61. Elle says

    April 15, 2017 at 9:48 pm

    I will probably use bacon!

    Reply
  62. Elle says

    April 15, 2017 at 9:50 pm

    Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/853425340097671172

    Reply
  63. Elena says

    April 15, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    I would use bacon to make omelet for Easter

    Reply
  64. Elena says

    April 15, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/853433847349821440

    Reply
  65. Cynthia C says

    April 17, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    I didn’t serve bacon in anything this year. We had ham for our Easter dinner.

    Reply
  66. Cynthia C says

    April 17, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    Tweet
    https://twitter.com/clc408/status/854040530380050432

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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