originally posted in April 2015
I first had this dish at a tiny hole in the wall brunch spot in Bushwick. I was immediately obsessed because, well, who wouldn’t be with eggs baked in tomato sauce covered in hot, bubbly mozzarella cheese. Either Brent or myself ordered it every single time we went and it was glorious. However, good things don’t always last and when a new chef took over, it just wasn’t the same. So obviously, as with most dishes I love at restaurants, I had to figure out how to make it. And great news: it’s SO easy to make.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
1 small/medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium clove of garlic, minced 4-5 fresh plum tomatoes (or 1 14 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes – I’m very picky when it comes to tomatoes, and I’ve totally gone the canned route. It’s not a cop-out.) 1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock (you can definitely substitute veggie stock or water) 1 tbsp of tomato paste 1/2 tbsp of butter 4 large eggs 1/2-1 cup of mozzarella cheese 6 fresh basil leaves 2 tbsp of olive oil salt, pepper, herbes de provence and chili flakes to taste
Directions:
In a medium-sized skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and stir everything together until it’s evenly coated. As the onions start to cook, season generously with salt and pepper. I love adding an equally generous pinch of herbes de provence. If you don’t have those, use italian herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, etc. – can’t go wrong with any of those). I also like to add a little chili flake to bring out the taste of the tomato and add an overall deeper flavor. I love spice – add as much or as little as you want here.
As the onion/garlic mixture continues to sauté until glassy, chop your tomatoes. I like cutting them into really small pieces (think pico de gallo) but this is totally personal preference. If you like it chunky, go chunky. If you don’t like chunks, go with crushed tomatoes. Once the onions are nice and glassy and beginning to slowly brown, add the tomatoes. Add the chicken stock and season again with salt/pepper (I like to season each time I add a diluting layer). Turn the heat down to medium/low, cover the pan and let the sauce simmer away for 5-10 minutes.
When the sauce starts to thicken, stir in the tomato paste. If it’s too thick or runny at this stage, feel free to add a bit more tomato paste or a little water. Let it simmer for another two minutes or so and finish off the sauce with butter and some fresh chopped basil (about 3/4 of the basil – save the last quarter for when you serve it). Give it a taste and season more as needed.
If you’re feeling fancy, transfer the sauce into a baking dish, or individual ramekins, or if your pan is oven safe go rustic and continue to use the pan. Crack in your eggs and cover the entire mixture with mozzarella cheese (the 1/2-1 cup estimate is merely a suggestion. I’ll be honest, I never measure the cheese – I just keep adding it until it feels right. Cheese is personal, so you do you). Move the dish/pan into a preheated 350° oven and let it bake for 15-20 minutes, until the eggs have set. If you’re like me and like a little crust on your cheese, turn the oven up to 400° for the last 5 minutes – it’s everything!
And believe it or not, that was it! Sprinkle the finished dish with your leftover basil and voilà! Serve it with your favorite crusty bread and go to your happy place.
Useful Tips:
Tomatoes can be a little tricky at times – sometimes they don’t give you the sweetness you are looking for in your dish, and sometimes they don’t give you the savory kick you need to round out your sauce. This is why it’s super important to periodically taste your sauce as it’s cooking and season accordingly. If you want a little more sweetness in your sauce, add a pinch of sugar (just a pinch can make a huge difference if your tomatoes aren’t giving you the sweetness you are looking for). On the flip side, if you’ve got the sweetness covered and need to balance it out, to give your sauce more of a savory full body flavor, try adding a small amount of a chicken bouillon cube. Now be careful with these, since they are usually used to season an entire pot of broth, they are definitely on the salty side – it doesn’t take much. Cut off a little sliver and let it melt into the sauce and add more as needed (trust me on this one – if you add just the right amount, it gives your sauce that little extra somethin’ somethin’).