Lovers of shakshuka or uovo in purgatorio know that eggs poached in tomato sauce is one of the best easy meals around. I like to add in vegetables for extra substance, nutrition and flavor – zucchini or spinach are favorites. The rare dish that is as just as satisfying morning, midday or evening.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons diced onion
- 2 cups diced zucchini (1 medium zucchini, about 1/2 lb)
- 1 14-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce)
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sprinkle of crushed red pepper
- 3 eggs
- Feta cheese, crumbled
- Parsley (or cilantro, or basil), for garnish
Preparation
- Heat a small skillet (8″) or saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion. Add zucchini in batches, enough at once for a single layer in the pan. The zucchini will shrink as it cooks. As space opens up, continue to add zucchini until all of it is cooked soft with edges browning.
- Add canned tomatoes or tomato sauce, garlic and oregano to skillet. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. If using canned tomatoes, cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes or so until tomatoes are soft.
- Carefully crack eggs into sauce placing them evenly apart. Cover pan and simmer on low for about 5 minutes, until whites are set and yolk is still soft. Check and cook for an additional minute if needed.
- Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Add feta and herbs to finish. Serve hot, with crusty bread.
Serves two.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the zucchini (spinach, sweet peppers, mushrooms, etc).
- Also great with olives and/or capers if your don’t have fresh veg around. Or a simple tomato sauce is perfect too.
- Substitute parmesan or pecorino for feta.
- It’s easy to double or triple the recipe for more people; just use a bigger covered skillet.
Here’s a link back to the post and pictures.
