Vermicelli frittata (frittata di vermicelli)

Ingredients

• 256 g (9 oz) vermicelli (made of semolina, not rice); you can also use leftover cooked pasta
• 45 ml olive oil, divided
• 8 anchovy fillets (packed in oil)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp (2.5 ml) crushed red pepper
• 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) chopped fresh basil, divided
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
• Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the vermicelli in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, then set aside to cool.

2. Add 3 tsp (15 ml) olive oil to a large frying pan over medium heat, then fry the anchovies, garlic and crushed red pepper for 2-3 minutes. Do not let garlic burn. Remove from heat.

3. To a large bowl, add cooled vermicelli, anchovy-garlic oil, eggs, most of the fresh basil (reserve some for garnish), Parmesan, salt and pepper and mix together.   

4. Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan you used to fry the anchovy fillets and garlic, and heat over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and egg mixture to the frying pan, making sure it sits in one even layer. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is browned.

5. Remove from pan, cut into slices, and serve garnished with fresh basil and sprinkled with Parmesan. Buon appetito!