Office Lunch Recipe: How Bicycle Pizza’s Andrew Johnson makes a classic Italian pasta fritatta

Leftover food never goes to waste in an Italian kitchen—so make this crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside pasta frittata recipe from Bicycle Pizza for lunch. Eat it hot or cold, with utensils or hands, and clean out the fridge as per co-founder Andrew Johnson’s instructions. He serves it with basil mayo and giardiniera at his Saanich eatery but adds that it can also be enjoyed with—deep breath—ketchup or a dip of choice.

Ingredients

• 500 g long round noodles (spaghetti or bucatini), cooked al denteand cooled (gluten-free pastawill work)
• 10 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (feel free to get creative with the cheese variety)
• ½ cup parmigiano or pecorino cheese, shredded
• ¾ cup cooked ham, diced
• ¾ cup frozen peas
• ½ tsp salt (plus more for pasta water)
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1½ tbsp neutral oil, for frying

Method

Stir beaten eggs with cheese, salt and pepper. Pour in the remaining ingredients before adding the pasta. Mix together in a large bowl.

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet on low-medium heat. Add mixture to the pan and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the heat to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Halfway through cooking, it’s time to flip the ­frittata. Use care, as this can be tricky: put a plate on top of the skillet like a lid, then use a pair of oven mitts to flip the pan so that the frittata falls onto the plate. Now place the frittata back in the skillet to cook the other side for another 15 to 20 ­minutes. (You can use an offset icing spatula to coax the frittata away from the edges if it’s being fussy.)

Once cooked on both sides, slice into wedges and serve warm. Don’t forget to save a slice for work the next day.