Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas Recipe

This tapas bar favorite boasts melt­ingly tender potatoes in a dense, creamy omelet. But the typical recipe for Spanish tortilla calls for simmering the potatoes in a quart of extra-virgin olive oil, which seemed excessive (and costly) for this simple dish.

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Process

Cut down the amount of oil to just 6 tablespoons for a richly flavorful, but not greasy, tortilla. Firmer, less starchy Yukon Gold potatoes worked much better than the standard russets; the russets tended to fall apart when flipped in the pan. To keep prep time to a minimum, we turned to jarred roasted red peppers, which added intense, smoky flavor and an appealing, bright color. A handful of vibrant green peas offered sweet, fresh flavor. This dish can be served warm or at room temperature.

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Potatoes

Peel potatoes, quarter lengthwise, then slice crosswise ½ inch thick. Halve and thinly slice onion. Toss ¼ cup oil, potatoes, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add potato mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Peas & Peppers

Thaw peas. Rinse roasted red peppers, pat dry, and cut into ½ inch pieces.Whisk eggs and ½ teaspoon salt in large bowl, then gently fold in cooked potato mixture, red peppers, and peas. (Make sure to scrape all of potato mixture out of skillet.)

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Skillet

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add egg mixture and cook, shaking pan and folding mixture constantly for 15 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and smooth top of egg mixture. Cover and cook, gently shaking occasionally, until bottom is golden and top is lightly set, about 2 minutes.

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Off Heat

Off heat, run heatproof rubber spatula around edge of pan and shake pan gently to loosen tortilla – it should slide around freely in pan. Slide tortilla onto large plate, then invert onto second large plate and slide back into skillet browned side up. Tuck edges of tortilla into skillet with rubber spatula. Continue to cook over medium heat, gently shaking pan occasionally, until second side is golden and eggs are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Slide tortilla onto cutting board, let cool slightly, and serve.

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Peas

Green peas are quite delicate, and
lose a substantial portion of their
nutrients within 24 hours of being
picked. This rapid deterioration is the reason for the starchy, bland flavor of most “fresh” peas found at the gro­cery store-these not-so-fresh peas might be several days old, depending on where they came from and how
long they were kept in the cooler.

Frozen peas, on the other hand, are picked, cleaned, sorted, and fro-
zen within several hours of harvest, which helps to preserve their delicate sugars and flavors. So unless you
grow your own or can stop by your
local farm stand for fresh picked,
you’re better off opting for frozen
peas. Any brand will work fine; when we sampled three national brands,
all of the peas were sweet and fresh, with a bright green color.

Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and Peas – Serves 4 – 6

1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 small onion
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup jarred roasted red peppers
s large eggs