Description
Eggs in Purgatory, or Uova in Purgatorio, is a comforting Italian dish featuring eggs gently poached in a spicy, flavorful tomato sauce. This simple yet hearty recipe combines sautéed onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil with canned tomatoes simmered to perfection. Topped with grated parmesan cheese, it’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and pairs wonderfully with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Eggs and Cheese
- 4 eggs
- 2–4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
Tomato Sauce
- 14oz / 400g can peeled tomatoes
- ¼ small onion, finely diced
- 1 small garlic clove, diced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat and sauté aromatics. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and red pepper flakes, sautéing for a few minutes until the onion softens. Then add the diced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and break them up. Pour in the canned peeled tomatoes, breaking them into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon to create a chunky sauce.
- Incorporate tomato juice and season. Add ½ cup of water to the empty tomato can to collect all remaining tomato juice and pour it into the skillet. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper. Tear in a few basil leaves and stir to combine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and flavors meld.
- Create wells and add eggs. Once the sauce has reduced, gently make 4 wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack each egg carefully into each well, keeping the yolks intact. Alternatively, crack eggs one at a time into a small bowl and gently pour into the wells.
- Cook eggs to desired doneness. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until eggs reach your preferred level of doneness. For firmer yolks, cook longer.
- Garnish and serve. Once eggs are cooked, sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Garnish with the remaining fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately with crusty bread for a delicious meal any time of day.
Notes
- For a spicier dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes to taste.
- Use fresh, high-quality canned tomatoes for best flavor.
- Cracking eggs into a bowl before adding to the sauce helps prevent breaking yolks or shells in the dish.
- This dish pairs beautifully with toasted or crusty bread to soak up the tomato sauce.
- You can customize by adding a sprinkle of fresh parsley or a drizzle of good-quality olive oil before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Eggs in Purgatory, Uova in Purgatorio, Italian eggs, tomato sauce eggs, spicy tomato eggs, Italian breakfast, poached eggs in tomato sauce
