Butternut Squash Frittata with Fried Sage
Simple, savory frittata made with butternut squash, onion, Parmesan and fried sage. This delicious gluten-free, meatless recipe is sure to please!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Itโs very strange to be a private, reserved person with a public job. Sometimes I can hardly stand to publish another post and put myself out there for critique all over again. Iโve pulled back from writing about personal matters on this once-little corner of the internet over time, even though ninety-nine percent of you all are so kind and encouraging. (Thank you.)
This frittata deserves mention. You should make it. Itโs full of sweet butternut squash, sautรฉed onion, and salty Parmesan cheese, topped with crispy fried sage. Itโs a great gluten-free holiday brunch option.
Butternut Squash Frittata with Fried Sage
Simple, savory frittata made with butternut squash, onion, Parmesan and fried sage. This delicious gluten-free, meatless recipe is perfect for brunch or dinner. Recipe yields one 10-inch frittata, which is enough for 8 modest or 6 large slices of frittata.
Ingredients
Butternut frittata
- 8 large eggs
- ยฝ cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ยพ teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ยพ to 1 pound butternut squash (about 1 small or half of a medium butternut), peeled and chopped into โ -inch cubes
- ยพ cup chopped yellow onion
- Freshly ground black pepper
Fried sage
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 16 fresh sage leaves (roughly ยผ cup), chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, ยผ teaspoon of the salt, and several twists of freshly ground black pepper. Then whisk in about half of the cheese.
- In a 10-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet or oven-safe sautรฉ pan, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes, until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Add the squash and the remaining ยฝ teaspoon salt and stir. Cover the pan and reduce heat slightly to avoid burning the contents. Cook until the butternut is tender and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated and the butternut squash is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 5 to 10 minutes (add another little splash of olive oil if the squash starts sticking to the pan).
- Turn the heat down to low. Arrange the butternut in an even layer in the bottom of the skillet. Whisk the egg mixture one last time and pour it into the pan. Sprinkle the frittata with the remaining cheese. Once the outside edge of the frittata turns lighter in color (about 30 seconds to 1 minute), carefully transfer the frittata to the oven. Bake for 8 to 15 minutes (keep an eye on it), until the eggs are puffed and appear cooked, and the center of the frittata jiggles just a bit when you give it a gentle shimmy.
- While the frittata is baking, fry the sage: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get crispy (but not brown) before transferring it to a plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.
- Once the frittata is done, sprinkle fried sage on top and let the frittata rest for a few minutes before slicing it into 6 large or 8 smaller wedges. Serve! Leftover frittata keeps well in a storage container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in the microwave or a low oven before serving, if desired.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Tasty n Alder in Portland and adapted from my Caramelized Sweet Potato, Red Pepper and Feta Frittata.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Youโre awesome! I know this is an old recipe, but Iโve been a vegetarian since last Christmas and itโs been a long process learning how to cook for myself and my girlfriend again. Iโm a KC native and was super pumped to learn you live here, too! If you ever want some folks to enjoy a coffee or cocktail with, weโd love to buy you one and pick your brain! Youโve made the last few months in the kitchen a blast! All of my meal planning is your doing, so keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for your note, Jared! Glad to know you are both enjoying my recipes here in KC. My lifeโs going to be a little crazy for the next couple of months, but Iโd love to meet up with you guys sometime. Definitely say hi if you catch me around town!
This looks great! Can I use frozen diced butternut squash?
I donโt see why not, if you thaw it out!
Another success! This is a wonderful brunch or light dinner with a salad. I honestly havenโt run across a recipe of Kates that isnโt delicious and easy to prepare. Thank you, Thank you.
Thank you! I am so happy to hear you like this recipe, along with many others. I really appreciate the support, Nita!
Made this tonight for dinner with a salad and homemade biscuits. A big hit. Love the fried sage leaves! A great addition to a delicious recipe. My goal is to try one new recipe a week from your site. This is my 3rd recipe and NONE have disappointed! Thanks!
Iโm a big fan of that goal! :) Keep sharing what you think, Nancy!
I made the Butternut Squash and fried sage frittata for the first time recently and it was soooo good! My teenage daughter and I loved it. We used sage that had been drying since I got it from our CSA earlier this fallโ what a nice touch! Thanks Kate!
Youโre welcome, Denise!
OMG! This was soooo good! I will definitely make this again! I didnโt have fresh sage, so I fried up some dried sage in a bit of butter for like a minute and it turned out great!
Thank you so much, you have never let me down with ANY recipe! I trust you and LOVE you!!! Youโre THE best!!!
Youโre so sweet, Connie! I appreciate the feedback.
Hello Kate, I have a butternut squash I need to use up and I thought about checking your blog. I have purchased your cookbook and everything I have made taste just amazing. My husband is diabetic has been wanting to transition to vegetarian/vegan eventually and with your recipes it has been a positive transition so far! His glucose is trending down and we are happy about this! Thank you for sharing!
Iโm happy you are loving the cookbook too, Jean!
Hello I really like the butternut frittata idea but donโt like sage. Can I use another herb that isnโt quite so strong as a substitute?
I really prefer this with sage. You could leave it out if you like.
Looks looks amazing! I will be trying this recipe tomorrow. I am wondering, would it work just as well as mini frittatas using a muffin tin? What temperature and cook time would you recommend? I want to have them as a one handed meal for post-partum
Hi Chloe, yes that should be ok. Check out my how to make frittata recipe and I lay all of that out. Let me know what you think!
Another winner! I halved the recipe since it was only for 2 people. I had some leftover kale, so I added a cup of that as well. My BF doesnโt like Parmesan so I substituted crumbled feta, worked out great! The fried sage is SUCH a delight and shouldnโt be skipped.
I just made this recipe and it was so delicious! I added kale but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. This recipe is a keeper, itโs as good if not better than any restaurant! Thank you Kate for sharing it with us!
I did a dead easy version, and it was divine! I used frozen, cubed squash (cook in microwave 5 minutes) and crรจme fraiche (store bought). Super easy and melt-in-your mouth yummy.
My favorite thing Iโve made this week. Itโs fun discovering โnew to meโ recipes from your site. The only thing I did differently was to make it with โRipplโ pea milk and it didnโt change the flavor at all and the texture was great. Even better for lunch on the second day!
Great to hear, Stephanie! Iโm glad you loved it.
Nice quick meal for a Sunday snack day, generates amazing leftovers and taste better with every bit, A well rounded recipe and delicious!
Great to hear it was a hit, Cyan!
Hello, This looks beautiful and exactly what I had been envisioning for a side dish for Christmas brunch. If I want to double the recipe and bake it in a 9ร13 dish do you have any recommendations? Thank you!! Canโt wait to try it!
You can try it! Let me know how it turns out for you.
I would like to make this frittata but I only have a smallish cast iron pan โ like 8 1/4 inches. And, it has to serve 6 people. I do have a cast iron dutch oven with high sides thatโs a larger diameter. Would this work?
Thank you!, Anne
You could try it! Let me know how it turns out.