Eggs in Purgatory is a comforting Italian dish where eggs are gently poached in a spicy, garlicky tomato sauce until the whites are set but the yolks remain delightfully runny. Served with crusty bread, this rustic meal is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a quick dinner. Its name evokes the fiery sauce surrounding the delicate eggs, symbolizing the contrast between sin and salvation.
Eggs in Purgatory
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup canned tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 onion
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 leaves basil (or a pinch of oregano)
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start by browning a peeled garlic clove and an onion cut into big wedges in the oil in a large pan. Add the peeled tomatoes after a couple of minutes, mashing them with a wooden spoon.
- Salt and let them cook with the lid on over medium heat for about 10 minutes. When the sauce has thickened, add the chopped basil or the oregano and remove the onion and garlic cloves.
- Lower the heat a little bit and create a small hollow with the spoon where you will shell the first egg. Do the same thing for the other three eggs.
- Cover with a lid and let it cook for 7-8 minutes if you want fully cooked eggs in purgatory; if you like a liquid egg yolk, cook them for only 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle with a handful of parmesan and a grind of pepper and garnish with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!