Authentic Italian frittata with Zucchini

Silvia Colloca's proper Italian frittata. Eggs beaten with milk and parmesan, poured over zucchini cooked soft in olive oil, finished on low heat until set. Basil or mint over the top. Brunch food, picnic food, or sliced cold for the next day's lunch.

The Italian frittata is structurally different from its French cousin the omelette: thicker, set rather than folded, often filled with vegetables or cheese, and crucially cooked low and slow rather than fast and hot. The French omelette is the lightning-quick three-minute breakfast; the frittata is the slow Sunday-morning egg dish that holds in the fridge for three days.

The low-heat technique is what defines a proper frittata texture. High heat scrambles the eggs and produces a tough, rubbery result; low heat (and patience) lets the proteins set gently into a tender, almost custardy structure. Cover the pan with a lid in the last two minutes to set the top without flipping; the residual heat from the pan finishes the cook.

Zucchini cooked in olive oil for three to four minutes until they soften but don't break down (a slight bite remains in each round) is the structural vegetable. The slight crunch against the soft eggs is the textural play. Parmesan grated into the egg mixture rather than scattered on top so it melts through the frittata; fresh basil or mint torn over the top after it leaves the pan for a green, aromatic lift. Cold slices for the next day's lunch wrapped in baking paper alongside a bottle of cold wine; the kind of food that turns leftovers into a picnic.