Orzo Pesto Fritatta with Dandilion Greens

Don't you just hate it when you make a dish and it turns out ugly...but then you taste it and it is amazing?  I guess you could close your eyes and eat it and imagine it was beautiful... I say better an ugly but delicious dish than a beautiful but disgusting one.   I made a frittata the other night and it wouldn't win any beauty contest, but it was scrumptious!  I had been busy all day and wanted to throw something quick together that would be tasty as well.  I had some orzo and basil pesto that I needed to use up, and although I could have just combined the two and made a simple pasta dish...I decided that a bit more protein would be nice in the form of eggs!  That is where the "fritatta" or quiche came into play.  I don't know if this dish could be called either technically, maybe a hybrid?  But I decided it was closer to a frittata than anything.  I also added some dandilion greens for extra color and vegetables, figuring they would combine nicely with the other ingredients.  Some shallots, garlic, and pecorino romano were added for extra zip as well, even though the pesto had already bumped the flavor factor way up.  It smelled wonderful as it was baking from all of the garlicy basil pesto...but when I opened the oven it was nothing beautiful to look at as the pesto had turned it a brown color.  But it tasted amazing...an explosion of flavor, delicious comfort food with the pasta and eggs...the type of dish you get hungry for and keeps you full for many hours.  Try this out if you have some leftover pasta on hand...and if you don't have dandilion greens, use arugula or spinach! 

Orzo Pesto Fritatta with Dandilion Greens

Serves 2


1 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch dandilion greens, chopped

8 oz whole wheat orzo pasta, cooked
1/2 cup basil pesto* (home made or store bought)
3 eggs, lightly beaten

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 oz freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Spray a glass pie plate with non-stick spray, and pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees.  In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add shallots.  Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and dandilion greens and saute until just wilted.  Remove from heat, and place in a large bowl.  Combine with all other ingredients except for half the pecorino romano, and mix well.  Pour into prepared pie plate, top with remaining pecorino romano and bake for 40 minutes, or until set in the center.

*I used my basil pistachio pesto, here is the link to the recipe:
     http://garlicandseasalt.blogspot.com/2010/06/pricey-pistachios.html