Bring Brunch Home With This Easy Eggs in Purgatory Recipe
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Shakshuka, coddled eggs, and quiche are all excellent brunch (and breakfast for dinner) options, but my favorite baked egg recipe of all is this simple, saucy take. It's a great choice for a larger group meal, unlike most egg recipes, as there's no need to poach, fry, or scramble each individual egg.
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That said, it's not some fussy, for-company-only dish. It's ingredient list is pretty simple and comprised mostly of pantry staples. And it can be partially made ahead of time. In fact, I'll often eat it a few days in a row for a solo meal, simmering up the sauce on day one, ladling one portion into a bowl, adding the eggs, and baking it off. (I refrigerate the rest of the sauce.)
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Best of all, it's the sort of meal that perfectly straddles the line between virtuous — it is, after all, mostly eggs and tomatoes — and not (mmm . . . bread and pancetta). It's the sort of thing that is equally at home as a weeknight dinner and a hangover-killer.
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Baked Eggs With Tomatoes and Pancetta
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 ounces diced pancetta
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
- 8 large eggs
- Sliced bread, for serving, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Set 4 ovenproof bowls or ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Add olive oil and pancetta to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until some of the fat has rendered from the pancetta and it is very lightly browned. Add the garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons parmesan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide tomato sauce among bowls, reserving 1 cup. Crack 2 eggs into each bowl. Dividing evenly, top with reserved sauce and 2 tablespoons parmesan. Bake until egg whites are just opaque (yolks should still be soft), 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.