Uova in Purgatorio with Spicy Tomato Sugo
Eggs poached in a fiery, garlic-laden tomato sauce spiked with chili and torn basil, the Italian ancestor of shakshuka. The whites set gently in the bubbling sugo while the yolks stay gloriously runny, begging to be broken with torn chunks of crusty bread. Bold, warming, and ready in minutes from pantry staples.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 800g whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
+ 8 more ingredients
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the sliced garlic and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Do not let it brown.
Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and the raw tomato flavor mellows into a rich, concentrated sugo.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Stir in half of the torn basil leaves.
Using the back of a spoon, make 6 small wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well, spacing them evenly.
Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, checking frequently, until the whites are just set and opaque but the yolks are still runny.
Remove from the heat. Scatter the remaining torn basil and grated Pecorino over the top. Drizzle with a thread of your best olive oil.
Bring the skillet directly to the table and serve family-style with thick slices of crusty bread for scooping and sopping up the sauce.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI