This Spanish omelette is yet another recipe born from a kitchen raid. Of all things ‘almost gone bad’. What makes this Spanish omelet ‘sing’ is the combination of ingredients. The bland potatoes, and slightly charred slow-cooked zucchini/ courgette for my English neighbors 🙂 And the smokey pancetta that heightens the scent to another level. Milky buffalo mozzarella to keep it all moist and Grana just because it works. So add this to your zucchini recipes repertoire.
Zucchini Spanish Omelette Ingredients
Cheese: Buffalo mozzarella is milkier than fresh mozzarella. But if you are unable to find it you can use fresh mozzarella instead. I use Grana Padano because it is a little less intense than Parmesan/Parmigiano Reggiano, which I believe worked well considering the strong smoked pancetta and panfried zucchini flavors.
Pancetta: I opt for smoked pancetta for the flavor and aroma. However, if you are unable to find some you can use unsmoked as well.
Making the Spanish Omelette
Pancetta: Fry the pancetta in a little oil on a skillet over medium-high heat. You can do this until they are just cooked, or wait a little longer until they are getting a bit crunchy. Keep in mind that they will be mixed in with other ingredients that are wet which will moisten it.
Zucchini/courgette: After taking out the pancetta, do not pour out the leftover fat in the skillet. Use it plus a little more vegetable oil to sauté the onions and pan-fry the zucchini. I would suggest you let the zucchini reach an even light brown, which also means you will need to frequently stir.
Potatoes: To save time I boil the potatoes while pan-frying the zucchini. The potatoes will take roughly 20-25 minutes. Cover to quicken the process but check on them occasionally. Do not let the potatoes get mushy. Take them off the fire immediately they hold their shape and do not require much effort to pierce through.
Mix: The last step is to mix 3/4 of the potatoes with the zucchini and pancetta. Stir in the grated cheese and 3/4 of the cubed mozzarella, then taste first to get an idea of how much salt you need before you add some in. And lastly, sprinkle in some black pepper and whisked eggs.
For a little crunch, lightly butter and coat the baking pan with natural-colored breadcrumbs. Tip the mixture into the baking pan, and top with the leftover potatoes. Press them onto the other ingredients. Bake in the middle oven rack for 15 minutes at 200°C, then top with the leftover mozzarella and bake a further 8 minutes or until the cheese has melted and lightly browned.
Serve garnished with thickly grated Grana Padano.
You can make this Spanish omelette ahead. Prepare it the night before for breakfast or brunch. Alternatively, make it in the morning and have it at lunch with salad as aside.
An idea: I opted not to use any other herbs or spices for this recipe as I try to make more, simple recipes. However, should you be adventurous or just need more of a kick to your Spanish omelette, I could suggest ditching the Grana Padano and mixing in other spices like sweet/smoked paprika or even chili flakes/powder.
Storage
Leave any leftovers to cool completely before storing it in a container in the fridge, and eat within a day.
How to reheat
Heat in the oven covered at 180°C / 356°F for 5-7 minutes or until hot enough. Can also be reheated in the microwave.
How to make it child-friendly
Do not add the black pepper
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Spanish omelette with zucchini, potato and pancetta
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Loading...Oven-baked Spanish omelette with zucchini, pancetta, and potatoes.
Ingredients
- 260g zucchini diced
- 350g floury potatoes (cubed)
- 1 small red onion (finely diced)
- 100g smoked pancetta. (thinly sliced)
- 115g buffalo mozzarella (cubed)
- 15g grated Grana Padano
- 2 small eggs
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
Bring water in a pot to boil
Add the cubed potatoes to the hot water to boil for 20-25 minutes, or until soft enough to pierce but they should hold their shape.
Fry pancetta for 4 minutes in a little oil, then take them out, reserve the leftover fat in the skillet
Tip the onions to the skillet with leftover fat and sauté for 2 min over medium-high heat, toss in the courgette to panfry until slightly brown for roughly 18 min.
Take the potatoes off the fire, drain, and let cool for about 5 minutes before stirring 3/4 of them with the pancetta, zucchini, and grated cheese. Taste then add salt as required plus a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Finally pour in the whisked egg.
Lightly butter a round 8-inch baking pan then coat with naturally-colored breadcrumbs. Tip the mixture into the pan then add the leftover potatoes on top. Gently press onto the rest of the ingredients.
Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes, then top with the leftover mozzarella and bake a further 8 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
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