Baked eggs with spinach, tomatoes, ricotta & basil

Apr 01 2022

Serve this Italian-inspired take on a shakshuka for an easy brunch. If you’re not vegetarian, you could also add chorizo

Ingredients

1
tbsp olive oil
1
onion, finely chopped
1
garlic clove, crushed
pinch of chilli flakes
3
x 400g cans finely chopped tomatoes (or blitz regular canned chopped tomatoes using a food processor or hand blender)
3
tbsp sundried tomato pesto (ensure vegetarian, if needed)
200
g spinach, roughly chopped
8
eggs
100
g ricotta
40
g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
handful of basil leaves
crusty bread or focaccia, to serve

Step 1
Heat the oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole or frying pan over a low-medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 mins until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and fry for 1 min more. Tip in the tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar and pesto. Season and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins, stirring often. Tip in the spinach and cook for another 5 mins until wilted.
Step 2
Heat the grill to high. Make eight gaps in the sauce with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each. Dot over the ricotta and scatter with the parmesan. Cover and cook for 5 mins, then slide under the hot grill for a few minutes until the egg whites are set and the yolks runny. Scatter with the basil and serve with crusty bread for dunking.