Do you know the so-called “Eggs in Purgatory”? It’s an extremely simple recipe both in preparation and ingredients. Its simplicity, speed, and ease of execution should not be misleading, because it is a very tasty, hearty dish, which can also be served as a single course, perfect for solving a lunch or dinner especially when you have little time available for cooking. To make the sauce, you can also use leftover tomato sauce or ragù. Do you have your own personal or family recipe? I prepare the eggs in purgatory following my father’s recipe.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 whole medium eggs
- 1 cup tomato pulp or puree
- to taste fine salt
- to taste pepper or chili pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fresh basil or oregano
Steps
1) Prepare the tomato sauce. In a shallow pan or skillet, pour a drizzle of olive oil and add the garlic clove with its skin on. Sauté the garlic without burning it. Once golden, remove it and pour in the tomato pulp, add chili pepper (if you like), mix well, cover (but leaving a gap), lower the heat, and let it cook and thicken for about 10 minutes.
2) Cook the eggs. After 10 minutes, if the sauce is thick, meaning not watery, add salt, mix, and with the help of a spoon, create four spaced “hollows” in the sauce (these are “holes” in the sauce where you’ll place the eggs). At this point, crack each egg and drop it directly into a “hollow”.
3) Slightly increase the heat, cover, and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on whether you prefer a runnier yolk, softer yolk, or more cooked and dense yolk.
4) Finish the eggs in purgatory with a sprinkle of fresh pepper (if you prefer it over chili pepper), a pinch of salt, and torn basil leaves or dried or fresh oregano, according to taste and season. Serve the eggs in purgatory individually and piping hot.
Bon appetit
Extra idea. Eggs in purgatory can also be served on crusty bread, preferably toasted, for an additional rustic touch that pairs well with this recipe.
To make the eggs in purgatory even richer and more succulent, place thin slices of smoked provolone or mozzarella on each egg at the end of cooking and let them melt a bit.
