Frittata Florentine

Routine week. The rain stopped. Boston April is finally behaving. I walked from the T to the clinic in a light jacket Thursday and did not want to die from the cold, which is a notable improvement over March.

My panel is filling up. Dr. Rashid added two new patients to me this week — a 45-year-old with poorly controlled asthma and a 68-year-old with COPD who needs smoking cessation counseling. I scheduled them both for next week. Community health moves in these rhythms — a problem, a referral, a follow-up, a no-show, a re-engagement.

Tuesday group. I talked about Liam and Nora this time. I said my five-year-old asked me last week if people in heaven get hungry. I did not have an answer. The widow whose husband died on the lawn said her daughter asked if daddies in heaven can see through the ceiling. Bernadette said kids ask the real questions. I wrote that in the notebook that night.

Liam lost his second tooth Thursday. Bottom front, the other one. He is very proud of the gap. Nora wants a gap and is negotiating with me about whether she can pull one of hers out. I said no. She said what about this one, and pushed on her incisor. I said it is not loose. She said what if I make it loose. I said Nora, no.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Liam buttered three for himself and ate them without syrup because he says Daddy used to eat the first real pancake without syrup. I did not know Sean did that. Liam said yes Mommy, with just butter, he said the blueberries were sweet enough. I wrote it in the notebook Saturday night.

Sunday dinner. Ma made roast chicken and a dish of creamed spinach that she is suddenly very into because she read an article about eating more greens. Dad made a face at the spinach. Ma said eat it. He ate it.

Food of the week: creamed spinach. Frozen chopped spinach, butter, flour, milk, nutmeg, salt, a fistful of parmesan. Ma's version, not fancy. Dad complained. Dad ate it. Dad took seconds, which he tried to hide, and Ma saw and said nothing and winked at me.

Ma’s creamed spinach was the unexpected star of Sunday — the dish Dad made a face at, then took seconds of, then tried to pretend he hadn’t. There’s something about spinach done right that wins people over quietly. This Frittata Florentine works the same way: eggs, spinach, a little cheese, straightforward technique — the kind of thing you make without ceremony and that earns its place at the table without asking for it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

6 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz fresh baby spinach (or one 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat the broiler. Set your oven broiler to high and position a rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
Whisk the eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.
Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Wilt the spinach. Add the spinach to the skillet in batches (if using fresh) and stir until fully wilted and any excess moisture has cooked off, about 2–3 minutes. If using frozen spinach, add it and stir until heated through and dry.
Add the egg mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the spinach. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly across the top. Cook without stirring until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 7–8 minutes.
Broil to finish. Scatter the mozzarella over the top and transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil until the top is set, puffed, and golden in spots, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely.
Rest and slice. Remove from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Frittata Florentine — Ma’s Spinach Lesson, Reimagined for the Week