If you’re looking for a fresh and flavorful way to showcase your summer garden bounty, this Zucchini Caprese Frittata is just the ticket. Packed with tender zucchini, sweet cherry tomatoes, and fragrant basil, it’s a delightful twist on the classic Caprese salad. Creamy fresh mozzarella melts into the eggs, creating a rich and satisfying dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner. A drizzle of pesto on top adds an extra burst of flavor, making this frittata a standout addition to your seasonal recipe rotation.
If you haven’t discovered the beauty of frittatas, it’s definitely something you should explore. They are the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge meal with endless variations. It’s kind of like an omlette, if you could make 6-8 omelets at one time and have the oven to most of the work. Basically you can add any variety of fillings, including starches like potatoes, rice, or even pasta, add in any vegetables and a few seasonings, and pour an egg mixture over the top, turning it into a crustless quiche-like meal that’s fabulous for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Just pair it with a side salad or more commonly in our house, slices of buttered toast and fresh fruit, for a perfect no-fuss meal.
Try this recipe out, or experiment with other veggie and meat combos!
Ingredients Needed
- eggs – large
- milk
- kosher salt – plus more for sprinkling
- black pepper – plus more for sprinkling
- olive oil – more if needed
- onion – finely diced. I’m using red onion here because I had one that needed to be eaten (remember this is a clean-out-the-fridge (or garden!) meal) but I prefer white in frittatas because red onion tends to turn gray-ish after baking. Still tastes great but I don’t love the look!
- garlic – minced
- zucchini – small-medium thinly sliced
- tomatoes – grape or cherry are perfect
- butter
- mozzarella – I used fresh mozzarella here, but you could use shredded if you’d like. I like using the fresh mozzarella because then you get these warm gooey cheese bombs throughout the frittata.
- basil leaves – sliced thin
- pesto – optional, for serving. If you’d like to make your own pesto, here is the recipe I use. I make this all summer long in small batches and freeze it; it freezes beautifully.
How to Make Zucchini Caprese Frittata
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
- Saute onion, then add garlic and zucchini and toss to cook until tender.
- Add tomatoes, tossing to cook until lightly blistered.
- Arranging vegetables in an even layer. Sprinkle cheese and basil on top. Add a bit of butter to ensure the eggs don’t stick.
- Gently pour egg mixture over the vegetables and place pan in oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until eggs are set. Be careful not to overcook.
- Let cool and slice into wedges. Serve with pesto if desired!
Storage & Other Tips
- Equipment: I love making frittatas in a cast-iron skillet, but any 2 quart baking dish or oven-proof skillet will work.
- Enjoying Leftovers: These are good warm, or at room temp (I always prefer warm) and the leftovers are even surprisingly great. I love a wedge re-heated on a slice of toast the next morning.
- Refrigerating Leftovers: Store any leftover frittata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors meld beautifully over time, making for a delightful next-day meal.
- Reheating: For best results, gently reheat slices in a 350°F oven until warmed through. This helps maintain the frittata’s texture and prevents it from becoming rubbery, which can happen with microwave reheating.
- Freezing: While frittatas can be frozen, the high water content of zucchini and tomatoes may lead to a slightly watery texture upon thawing. If you choose to freeze, wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Prep ahead: You can sauté the zucchini and prepare the egg mixture in advance. Store them separately in the refrigerator, and when ready to cook, assemble and bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Sautéing the zucchini first helps release excess moisture, which keeps your frittata from becoming watery. Plus, it deepens the flavor.
You sure can! The beauty of frittatas is their flexibility. While fresh mozzarella gives that dreamy, creamy melt, you can sub in shredded mozzarella or fontina if you’re looking to stick to the Caprese theme of this recipe.
Fresh basil is the star here, but if you’re out, use about 1 teaspoon of dried basil and mix it into the egg base. You’ll miss a little of that bright flavor, but it’ll still be delicious.
An 8- or 9-inch oven-safe skillet (like cast iron or nonstick) works great. If you use a larger pan, the frittata will be thinner and cook more quickly.
Of course! Diced bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, or a bit of cooked bacon or sausage all work well. Just be sure to cook any add-ins first to keep the texture just right.
Zucchini Caprese Frittata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 eggs large
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more for sprinkling
- ½ tablespoon olive oil more if needed
- ¾ cup onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 zucchini, small-medium thinly sliced
- 10 ounces tomatoes, grape about 1 heaping cup
- ½ tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup mozzarella, fresh diced
- ¼ cup basil leaves lightly packed, thinly sliced
- pesto optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper until just combined.
- Heat a 12-inch cast iron (or other ovenproof skillet) skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil to coat pan. Saute onion for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and zucchini and toss to cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Push everything to the side of the pan and add tomatoes, tossing to cook until lightly blistered and starting to burst. Sprinkle everything lightly with salt and pepper.
- Turn pan heat to low. Add butter to pan and toss everything together, arranging vegetables in an even layer. Sprinkle cheese and basil on top.
- Gently pour egg mixture over the vegetables and place pan in oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until eggs are set. Let cool for a few minutes and then slice into wedges. Serve with pesto if desired.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
I guess if you doubled this you would have to transfer it to a 9×13 in the oven portion? And then make ahead wise if its easy to just do the oven portion when ready to eat it?
Yes, you’ll need a larger pan if you double it, and you’ll want to cook it completely before cooling and storing.
It was 3:30 and I didn’t have anything planned for dinner. Then I remember seeing this recipe and I was so happy with how easy everything came together. We don’t grow cherry tomatoes so I just chopped up some larger ones and it worked great. I forgot to add the basil until a couple minutes into cooking time (probably because I had a baby on my hip and a cranky toddler on the couch) but it turned out fine. My meat loving husband enjoyed it too. I didn’t have any pesto, will have to plan for that next time. I served it with some rolls and a fruit smoothie. I am excited to have the leftovers tomorrow morning. Thank you!
Just wanted to report back that I made this and it was SO SO good! My hubby was way impressed. The pesto on top just put it over the top. So good. I have my ice cube tray filled with leftover pesto. Can’t wait to find more fun recipes to use it in! Thanks for another great recipe! Love you girls! 🙂
So glad you loved it!
Our garden is bursting with zucchini, basil and tomatoes! So excited to try this tonight! I made your pesto this weekend for this dish. Can’t wait! 🙂
This looks like such an easy weeknight meal! Totally making this tonight!
Yum.Just in time. Our garden is starting to produce a lot of zucchini and squash.