Eggs in Purgatory
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Eggs Vegetables Breakfast
The Italian version of Shakshouka is very spicy and aromatic. You probably already know Shakshouka - I have two versions on the site. Here you can find the simpler version where I use canned tomatoes and here the more seasoned version, with fresh tomatoes and yogurt.
This Italian version has Nduja paste in the sauce, which gives it a distinctive intense aroma (note: the paste contains meat and pork fat, it's not vegetarian!) and the characteristic spiciness (hence the name Purgatory).
Ingredients
Spicy Tomato Sauce
750 g tomatoes (sweet and ripe)
1 tablespoon Nduja paste (spicy meat paste with hot peppers)
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1 generous sprig of basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
Eggs
4-5 eggs
12 cherry tomatoes (optional)
10 large basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
Parmesan Toast
2 slices rustic bread
a little olive oil
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan
black pepper
Servings: 2
How to prepare eggs in purgatory
- Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them on the large holes of a box grater, holding them with the flesh facing down, until only the skin remains in your hand.
- In a wide pan/pot (about 25-28 cm) add the oil and Nduja and let it melt completely. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until it starts to smell pleasant.
- Add the tomato puree, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat at first, then as the sauce reduces, lower the heat so it doesn't burn. Stir the sauce occasionally, especially at the end when it's reduced, to prevent sticking and check its consistency.
- After approximately 20-25 minutes of cooking, the sauce should be well reduced and the fat should have gathered at the edges, a sign that it's ready. Adjust salt to taste. Add the sprig of basil and leave covered until needed.
* The sauce can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator. - When you want to serve the eggs, reheat the sauce if it has been refrigerated. Add the cherry tomatoes cut in half and cook in the sauce for 5 minutes. At this time also add the chopped basil.
- Next, the eggs can all be prepared directly in the pot where you made the sauce, or you can use 2 individual dishes (about 18-20 cm in diameter).
- Crack the eggs into the hot sauce and leave on heat for another 1-2 minutes, until the white on the bottom is opaque. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over everything (over sauce and eggs) and grind black pepper.
- Transfer the pot (or pots) to the oven, preheated to 160°C, and leave until the white is completely set (about 4-5 minutes).
- For the toast, drizzle the bread slices with a little oil on both sides. Toast them in a grill pan (without fat) until they get light grill marks. Sprinkle a thin layer of Parmesan on one side, grind some black pepper and put the bread back with that side down in the grill pan, maximum 1 minute, until the Parmesan melts, browns, and becomes crispy.
- Serve the eggs hot.
