Froga Tat-Tarja - Cheesy Pasta Omelette
Froga tat-tarja is a Maltese pasta omelet, traditionally made with vermicelli. An ingenious way of bulking up freshly cooked pasta or turning leftovers into a second meal, this dish comes together without much effort and disappears just as easily.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. vermicelli
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup grated grana-type cheese (Grana Padano or Parmigiana-Reggiano)
- 2 tbl. chopped parsley plus a little extra for garnishing
- 1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the vermicelli until all dente, strain and set aside.
- Beat the eggs thoroughly and mix in the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil.
- Toss the egg mixture with the pasta, making sure all pieces are evenly coated.
- Pour a thin layer of olive oil into a large pan and heat on the stovetop over medium.
- Once hot, pour enough of the pasta and egg mixture into the pan to form a layer approximately ½ inch thick and let it cook until the bottom is crisp and golden. If there is not much of the mixture left, you can choose to pour it all in or make a second froga tat-tarja. How much of the pasta and egg mixture is left will depend on the size of your pan.
- Carefully flip everything to cook the other side. If needed, slide the froga tat-tarja, cooked-side down, onto a plate, cover the plate with the pan and flip.
- Let the other side cook until golden.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with a little fresh parsley.
Notes
The typical flavorings for this dish are cheese and parsley, but you'll find some with other ingredients like green onion, spinach, or prosciutto. We have made this dish a variety of ways, including mixed with crumbled bacon, onion and hot peppers. As long as the moisture content of what you add to froga tat-tarja isn't too hight, you should be able to mix in whatever you like. Although vermicelli is the traditional pasta used to make froga tat-tarja, you can also make a spaghetti omelette if that is the type of pasta you have handy.