Frittata

Round out your breakfast: Add half a small whole-grain bagel, 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt and 1/2 cup orange juice.

A protein-and-veggie-packed omelette alternative Eggs get the fancy treatment with this frittata, adapted from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café (Hyperion), the latest by the Moosewood Cookbook author. The dish easily feeds a crowd, and because it uses egg whites in place of some yolks, fat content stays within a healthy range. Self added lean turkey bacon for flavor, but it's worth a gobble with or without the meat.

A heart-healthy quickie dinner Oh, those Italians — always watching out for you with their heart-protecting Mediterranean diet. Even their egg dishes are healthy! Check out this frittata from The Mediterranean Heart Diet (Fisher Books). It's an omelette that has hardly any butter or fat but tastes absolutely scrumptious. And it's filling, too. Best of all, this dinner-worthy meal can be whipped up quickly any night of the week.

Frittata di Ricotta The best ricotta is a farmer's jewel—thick, tangy, and, contrary to health regulations, unpasteurized. But we eat it anyway, at room temperature with a spoon, like kids skimming cream off the top of milk. Around Garfagnana, the mountain town where my mom grew up, this frittata is a staple, but is never served as an individual dish; the frittatas they made were huge and were sliced into single servings. You can't beat it for a buffet. It's also great with tomato sauce on top. Make sure to use the highest quality ricotta you can find.

Armandino Batali of Salumi in Seattle, writes: "My son, Mario Batali, may be the most recognizable foodie in the family, but the Batalis' interest in Italian cooking and culture goes back generations. My grandfather opened Seattle's first Italian-food import store in 1903. It was located just a few steps from where my restaurant, Salumi, is now, and it's one of the things that inspired me to get into the business. "The idea behind Salumi was to create a restaurant, deli, and meat factory in one place, just like the salumerias in Italy. We're known for homemade sausages and salami, but we also attract a large lunchtime crowd. Some of the specials, like the meat loaf and frittata, have been in our family for years. They're also easy to make at home." Here's a great way to use leftover pasta or any pasta or marinara sauce.

Highlight the homey flavors with boiled turnip greens splashed with vinegar and a basket of biscuits. End with brown-sugar-sweetened peaches and sugar cookies.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If the crowd is larger than eight, make two frittatas and keep one warm. Served in wedges, frittatas are delicious hot, warm, or at room temperature.

(Frittata di Funghi con menta) The frittata is a popular appetizer, lunch or light supper in Tuscany, and making it is an art. Tuscans like their frittatas golden on the outside and creamy on the inside. Frittatas usually feature seasonal vegetables like artichokes, asparagus or the wild mushrooms here. Porcini and cantarelli (chanterelles) are the most common wild Tuscan mushrooms, but others can occasionally be found at markets or in secret spots in the woods.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 40 min

At La Porteña, an Argentine restaurant in Jackson Heights, New York, spicy chorizo sausage is used to give this frittata-style omelet its heat. If you can't find chorizo, hot Italian sausage makes a nice substitute.

Serve with: Crusty French rolls and steamed new potatoes tossed with butter and chervil. Dessert: Meringues filled with purchased lemon curd and sprinkled with blueberries.