Frittata di Spaghetti

What foods do you bring to the beach?

It would make sense to bring light things that don't give you a food belly resembling that of a 9-month pregnant woman, right?

If you're in Sicily, that logic won't fly.

Sicilians love their pasta unconditionally, and this nonsense of it having a bloating effect does not faze them in the slightest.  When they make a day trip to the beach (which is usually not very far from home, lets be honest) they bring along a nice, heavy baked pasta dish for a hearty lunch to fuel many more hours under the sun.

This pasta al forno, or a baked pasta dish, can be eaten warm or at room temperature, and it gets better the longer it sits.  There are tons of different types of pasta al forno you can make, but today I am bringing this quiche-like version to you.  It's seriously delicious, made with spaghetti, eggs, cream, vegetables, and cheese, and just as good cold as it is warm.  You can feel free to vary the vegetables you use according to your tastes.  

Frittata di Spaghetti

100 g cooked spaghetti

olive oil

125 g sliced mushrooms

1 red pepper, diced

80 g frozen peas

6 eggs

250 ml heavy cream

parsley

grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a round pan of about 23 cm in diameter.

Sautee the mushrooms in about 1 tbsp of olive oil for 2-3 minutes, adding salt to taste.  Remove the mushrooms from the pan and use the same pan to cook the peppers, also adding salt to taste.  When the peppers are almost tender, add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are done.  Add the mushrooms back to the pan and mix all the vegetables together.  Set aside.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the cream and add salt and pepper to taste, then add the cooled cooked spaghetti, chopped parsley, and about ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese.  Add in the vegetables and mix everything together.  Pour the mixture into the greased pan and sprinkle the top with more parmesan cheese, then bake for 25-30 minutes.  
Serves about 4.