Eggs in Purgatory, or Uova in Purgatorio, is a simple Italian dish in which eggs are gently cooked in a rich tomato sauce until the whites are set and the yolks remain soft. In this recipe, Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes are simmered with onion, garlic and a touch of chilli, then finished with Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil. Serve with toasted bread or focaccia for an easy vegetarian breakfast, brunch or light dinner.
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1
To get started with this eggs in purgatory recipe, warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat until it ripples. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the onions and cook, stirring until soft and translucent, 8 minutes.
2
Add the chopped tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Check the thickness by pulling a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan and if it stays separated, it’s done.
3
Make 8 indentations in the sauce. Break the eggs, one by one, into a teacup, and with the spoon, add one egg into each indentation. Cover and cook until the whites of the eggs are firm but the yolks are still runny, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4
Dividing evenly, spoon the tomato sauce and two eggs onto each plate and sprinkle with Parmigiano and torn basil. Serve eggs in purgatory immediately with toasted bread or focaccia.
Eggs in Purgatory, known in Italian as Uova in Purgatorio, are eggs cooked directly in a savoury tomato sauce. The dish is traditionally associated with Neapolitan and Southern Italian cooking and is appreciated for its simplicity: a few everyday ingredients come together to create a comforting and flavourful meal.
Even if the exact origin of the name is uncertain, it is traditionally linked to the appearance of the dish. The eggs are often said to represent souls surrounded by the fiery red tomato sauce of “purgatory”.
