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Uova al pomodoro
Eggs in tomato sauce
Uova al pomodoro: eggs set in a quick garlic, basil and tomato sauce, with bread for mopping
Uova al pomodoro, called uova in purgatorio around Naples, is the supper that kitchens from Rome down to Calabria fall back on at the end of the month or on a meatless Friday: a tin of tomatoes, a little garlic and basil, and eggs cooked gently in the sauce until set. The whites turn tender, the sauce goes sweet and thick, and a hunk of bread does the rest. The usual mistake is adding the eggs to a thin, watery sauce; they spread out, poach in pink liquid and the dish turns soupy. Chef's tip: crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it into a well in the sauce so the yolk stays whole and sits exactly where you want it.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garliccloves, thinly sliced
- 14 oz tinned chopped tomatoes
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 8 fresh basilleaves
- 4 eggslarge
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 2 garlic in a 24 cm frying pan with a lid over a low heat until the garlic is pale gold and smells sweet, 1–2 minutes. Don't let it brown.
2 minStep 2: Add 14 oz tinned chopped tomatoes, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes and half the 4 fresh basil. Raise the heat and simmer briskly, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a clear trail.
5 minStep 3: Make four wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack each of the 4 eggs into a cup and slide it into a well.
Step 4: Cover and cook over a medium-low heat until the whites are completely white and firm and the yolks have thickened, 5–6 minutes. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, a young child, an older person or anyone with a weakened immune system, keep the lid on for 2 minutes more until the yolks are firm.
6 minStep 5: Tear over the rest of the 4 fresh basil and serve straight from the pan, with bread for the sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does uova al pomodoro take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of tinned chopped tomatoes?
- Fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped: about 6 per 400g tin (cook a little longer).
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