The basil omelette with tomato and ricotta is one of the infinite dishes of peasant origin that have remained unchanged for centuries. It is a dish that enhances the flavors and aromas of the Mediterranean. Especially if you replace the onion with a couple of chives or add a little chopped chives.
Traditionally this basil omelette with tomato, ricotta and onion is a typical Campania dish. Where it is no coincidence that among the typical recipes of the region there is also tomato omelette and onion omelette. The latter is the oldest and probably dates back to the time of the ancient Romans. Which then evolved, over the centuries, integrating other ingredients that replaced part of the onions. This is what also happened with our basil omelet, which first became an onion and ricotta omelet, then basil was added and finally (in the first half of the 19th century) tomatoes.
only in the recipe two observations, which also apply to this basil omelette as to all omelettes.
The first one about beating eggs., which must be thick and fast, so as not to make them brittle: they must not end up producing foam. This is recommended by all the great chefs. And the reason is very simple. Think about it for a moment: foam (all foam, including egg foam) is made of air…. which, obviously, does not solidify when fried.
The second note is about the kitchen.. Which in theory is pretty simple. But in practice it is not: at least not for everyone. Sometimes you even see excellent housewives struggling to keep the omelet from sticking to the pan and then managing to turn it over without breaking it. Often with bad results.
Nowadays, thanks to non-stick pans, it is possible to cook tortillas in different ways. In our opinion, however, the best is still the most traditional, codified (literally) since the time of the ancient Romans. Especially for an omelette like the basil one with tomato and ricotta, which contains much more moisture than regular omelettes.
it’s done like this: Grease the pan as little as possible and heat it to the maximum, but precisely to the maximum, that is, as much as possible. The objective is to ensure that when you pour the egg mixture, the external part solidifies upon first contact. Pour the eggs with the rest of the ingredients, as described in the recipe below, and wait 10 seconds with the heat at maximum. Immediately after, we lower the heat to minimum (soft), cover with the lid and let it cook for 7 minutes. Then turn the tortilla, if necessary with the help of the lid, and increase the heat to maximum for 10 seconds. Finally, turn it down to low and let it finish cooking without the lid for another 5 minutes.
- 6 eggs
- 2 large, ripe tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 25 basil leaves (about 20 g)
- 100 g ricotta
- 2 tablespoons of parmesan
- Pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the ricotta (better if cow’s milk) and work it for a long time with a fork, until it is fluid. If you don’t have ricotta, use a cheese of your taste, but sweet and spreadable.
- Blanch the tomatoes for a minute, peel them, cut them into thin slices and let them drain: use only the pulp.
- Cut the onion very finely and leave it for a few minutes in a cup full of warm water to sweeten its flavor. Then drain it and dry it on a cloth or between two sheets of kitchen paper.
- Quickly beat the eggs in a bowl and mix them with the chopped basil by hand and with all the other ingredients: tomato, ricotta, parmesan and chopped onion, add a pinch of freshly ground pepper, two pinches of salt and mix well.
- Grease a non-stick frying pan, place it over high heat and when it is very hot, pour the mixture. After about ten seconds, lower the heat, cover and let cook for 8-9 minutes.
- As soon as it begins to thicken in all its parts, we turn it over and complete with another 6-7 minutes of cooking without the lid. Serve hot, or even at room temperature, your basil omelette with tomato and ricotta.
