monday night leftovers
New Zealand's cheese industry is something to be very proud of and October's New Zealand Cheese Month recognises everyone who makes it so. We celebrated with a Whitestone Cheesecake sliced into a cheeseboard to be served with a small selection of just the right accompaniments (see page 5). I transformed some of the leftovers into a very tasty, cheesy frittata (opposite) and we also learnt to match cheese with tea (page 4) — let me tell you, it's a revelation. You must try it.
Cheese and pasta frittata Serves 2-3
4 eggs
1 Tbsp cream
3 rashers bacon, chopped
150g mixed cheeses, grated or in pieces (I
used a mix of blue, brie and parmesan) 4 asparagus spears, trimmed, sliced and
blanched
2 Tbsp chopped herbs (I used oregano, thyme,
chives and parsley), plus extra for serving Zest of ½ lemon
200g cooked spaghetti or fettucine, chopped 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Heat oven to 200C.
2 Whisk eggs and cream in a large bowl, add bacon, cheeses, asparagus, herbs, lemon zest and pasta, stir to combine and season to taste.
3 Heat oil in a deep 25cm ovenproof frying pan over high heat, add mixture and cook until starting to set around edges. Transfer to oven and bake until set (6-10 minutes). 4 Turn out to serve, sprinkled with extra chopped herbs and cut into wedges. There should be enough for a couple of lunches tomorrow, it travels well.
Leftover ends of cheese from the cheeseboard and the pasta you cooked too much of get a delicious second life.