Everyday Food (April 2009)
We've mentioned before that we canned our own tomatoes last summer. Over the winter, with a cupboard full of jars of swirling, gorgeous red tomatoes, we've always been on the lookout for ways to use them.
We've made some terrific pasta sauces and soups, but these Baked Eggs in Tomato-Parmesan Sauce might be the single best dish we've made with our canned tomatoes.
Let's put it this way: This recipe is so good, we've already made it twice!
This dish is supremely simple -- perfect for a midweek dinner. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry (and if not, it's easy to improvise. The second time we made this, we didn't have any rosemary in the house, so we threw in a handful of fresh thyme leaves). Oh, and don't get hung up on the crushed vs. diced tomatoes. Our canned tomatoes were "crushed-diced," somewhere in between.
And the whole thing can be on your table in half an hour.
One other note: Both of the times we've cooked this, we wished for runnier eggs. The second time, we actually only cooked it in the oven for 20 minutes -- much shorter than the recipe's recommended 24-28 minutes. Even still, we'd probably suggest a shorter cook time, maybe 16-18 minutes. It all depends on how firm you want your eggs.
Baking the tomatoes really brings out their smoky sweetness, which is a heavenly match for the rich, runny, yummy eggs. The Parmesan, rosemary and garlic add familiar, comforting flavors.
One thing this recipe omits?
You're definitely gonna need some toasty, crusty bread to sop up all the deliciousness.
Baked Eggs in Tomato-Parmesan Sauce
Everyday Food (April 2009)
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(This photo: Everyday Food)
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* 1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
* 2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
* 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 8 large eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set four 12-ounce ovenproof bowls or ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic and rosemary; cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes (with juice), crushed tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Season tomato sauce with salt and pepper.
3. Divide tomato sauce among bowls, reserving 1 cup. Crack 2 eggs into each bowl. Dividing evenly, top with reserved sauce and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until egg whites are just opaque (yolks should still be soft), 24 to 28 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.
