Spanish Tortilla with Spinach

Ahh, Sunday. In my head, Sundays are days for lounging around, eating lazily and often, and puttering around the house putting things in their proper places. It’s sad, but true: one of my favorite things to do is to organize. For fun. The reality is — well, it’s not that. Usually we’re up at the crack of dawn, and then it’s a full day running around to catch up with friends and shuttling kids to play dates and birthday parties. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sometimes I make this Spanish tortilla with spinach at the beginning of our Sunday so that we can grab thick slices as we’re heading out the door.

Spanish tortilla is different from the flatbread-type found in South American cuisine. It’s basically a frittata — an egg based pancake that has layers of pillowy potatoes seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. When we went to Madrid last year, I saw a proud tortilla perched on top of a cake plate in nearly every neighborhood cafe we stepped into. The kids would clamor for a thick slice while the hubby and I sipped espressos and watched the bustle of the city unfold outside.

The issue with Spanish tortilla is that it’s too tasty. The potato is soft and savory and the eggs are the perfect silky accompaniment. Our kids wanted to eat tortilla for every meal the entire time we were in Spain, and my mom instinct started to worry that they weren’t eating enough variety. That’s why my version of Spanish tortilla adds wilted fresh baby spinach. Even though Meimei isn’t a huge fan of greens, she seems not to mind baby spinach when it’s woven through potatoes and eggs.

spanish tortilla with spinach

Spanish tortilla cooks in a deep skillet, making clean up really easy. After making it, tortilla will keep on your kitchen counter all day as long as it’s lightly covered with plastic wrap. During the day, the kids will scoot by the kitchen, spot the tortilla on the counter, and help themselves to a hefty wedge. In my house, if you’re late to the party, you might breeze by looking for a slice of this tortilla only to find crumbs and a piece of wadded up plastic wrap next to an empty plate.

I usually know this happens in my house when I hear a yelp, followed by a “HEY! Who ate all the tortilla?”

It’s usually the hubby.

One day I’ll make it up to him.

Spanish Tortilla with Spinach

Time1 15

CourseBreakfast, Main Course

CuisineSpanish

Servings4

Ingredients

1 8- ounce 400g bag of baby spinach, rinsed and dried
2 pounds potatoes (around 3 large potatoes or 4-5 medium ones, washed, peeled and thinly sliced to about 1/8″ (about 1/3 centimeter) thick)
1 onion (thinly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced and crushed with the flat part of your knife)
7 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius).
Heat a 12″ skillet (non-stick preferably) over medium heat. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Add the baby spinach a handful at a time and keep stirring until the spinach is wilted and dark green. Drain out the excess liquid and put the spinach on a plate to cool.
Return the skillet to the heat and turn the heat down to medium-low. Add another drizzle of olive oil and the onions. Saute the onions until they’re very soft and clear but not brown, about 10-12 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Drizzle in another tablespoon or so of olive oil, and add the potatoes. Stir the potatoes around, flipping them frequently to mix them in with the onions, and keep cooking until the potatoes are soft and tender (this should take around 10-15 minutes).
Once the potatoes have cooked, add the spinach and stir again to combine everything in your pan.
Pour the eggs in and stop stirring. Let the eggs cook for about 3-5 minutes until the sides start to set, then slide the entire pan into the oven and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the top is set.
Remove from the oven and invert the tortilla onto a plate. Season with another dash of salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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