Italian eggs? Is there such a thing? Yes there is, at least for my cousin Gerry who first introduced me to this delicious egg recipe.
My cousin Gerry and his wife Mary invited me over for breakfast one day. Gerry loves to cook and it shows. His meals are always yummy. This morning was no exception when he served me his version of eggs and tomatoes. I call it his Italian eggs because they have the nice mild tastes of an Italian tomato sauce.
This recipe is similar to a shakshouka, which is a Middle Eastern version of eggs poached in tomato sauce. Shakshouka has the flavors of the Middle East and if often fairly spicy. You will also find a similar recipe called Eggs in Purgatory.
Gerry added our more traditional Italian flavors to his version of poached eggs. I loved them and couldn’t wait to try it on my own.
You can certainly spice this recipe up if you like hot. I have some suggestions below the recipe, but I love it the way it is, a beautiful savory tomato sauce studded with perfectly cooked poached eggs.
Serve it with toasted Italian bread if possible, but any good toast will do.
Passata is bottled Italian strained tomatoes. It is thicker than tomato juice, but is smooth, not chunky like chopped tomatoes. I love it for making pasta sauce. You can find passata in glass bottles in your grocery store. If you can’t find it, just use a can of diced tomatoes.
This is a fantastic recipe if you are eating low carb, Paleo or Keto. It has a net carb count of 3 which is pretty fantastic. (To get the Net carb count, take the amount of carbs and subtract grams the fiber). That makes it a wonderful recipe for anyone who is diabetic.
I hope you like these fantastic eggs. If you do, leave me a comment below and I will be sure to pass it on to my cousin.
Gerry's Poached Italian Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 28 ounce can tomatoes, diced or 1 bottle passata (strained tomatoes)
- 1 zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried, or 1 tablespoon fresh basil minced
- salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 to 8 eggs
- 2 tablespoons parsley, fresh, minced
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until they are just soft.
- Cut the ends off the zucchini and slice it in half lengthwise. Slice the zucchini into fairly thin half moons. Add them to the saute pan and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes or tomato passata (see notes below) to the pan. Add the dried basil if you are using dried, plus salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. If you are using fresh minced basil add it now.
- Crack the eggs right on to the sauce, making sure they are evenly spaced on the pan. Cover and cook the eggs for about 6 to 8 minutes over medium heat, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. (If you like your egg whites firm, cook the mixture for 2 minutes longer).
- Sprinkle with the fresh minced parsley before serving.
Nutrition
Serves 4.
Variations:
- For those who like it spicy hot, top with your favorite hot sauce.
- You can also add finely chopped hot peppers to the sauce as you cook it.
- Replace the zucchini with 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms if you prefer.
- Top the eggs with shredded feta or cotilla cheese.
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