BAKED EGGS IN TOMATO SAUCE
I’m a huge fan of baked eggs. Something about them feels incredibly luxurious, which is why I didn’t start making them at home until recently. What I now love even more about them is how simple they can be to make, and they’re easy to prepare for a crowd if you have guests over. I love the thought of a bunch of friends catching up in the kitchen with coffee as something delicious bakes in the oven for breakfast. It’s so cozy. SERVES 4 TO 6
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground paprika
½ to 1 teaspoon (5 ml) red pepper flakes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, paprika, and red pepper flakes, and give it a stir. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce to an ovenproof skillet, and create six small wells in the sauce.
- Crack 1 egg into each well, put the skillet into the oven, and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
- Serve garnished with basil.
VARIATION 1 SAUSAGE-BAKED EGGS: For a meatier breakfast, sauté about 1 pound (454 g) spicy sausage with the garlic and onions before adding the rest of the ingredients and continuing with the recipe as written (see photo below).
VARIATION 2 BAKED EGGS WITH GREENS: Prepare the baked eggs in individual ramekins, and serve on a plate with a big salad for lunch.
PREP TIP: This recipe includes directions for making your own tomato sauce, but if you are short on time, a canned marinara sauce will do just fine (as long as it’s free of sugar and non-Paleo preservatives; Trader Joe’s has a great one in a big green can).
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Baked eggs in tomato sauce are my idea of a luxurious breakfast that takes almost no effort: a quick garlicky tomato sauce simmered with paprika and red pepper flakes, with eggs cracked into wells and baked until just set. Serve it with a big salad and call it lunch. It feeds a crowd easily.
Pro Tips
- Simmer the sauce a full 10 minutes before the eggs go in. A properly reduced sauce cradles the eggs instead of drowning them.
- Create six small wells in the sauce and crack one egg into each. The wells keep the yolks in place as they bake.
- Bake 7-10 minutes at 375°F until the whites are set but the yolks are still slightly soft - they firm up as the skillet rests.
- Short on time? A good sugar-free canned marinara stands in for the homemade sauce.
- For a meatier breakfast, saute about 1 pound of spicy sausage with the garlic and onion before adding the tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are baked eggs in tomato sauce paleo?
They are - just eggs, tomatoes, onion, garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes. No dairy and no bread.
How do I know when the eggs are done?
Seven to ten minutes at 375°F - the whites should be set while the yolks stay slightly soft. They keep cooking in the hot skillet.
Can I make the tomato sauce ahead of time?
Yes - simmer it up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat it, make the wells, and crack in fresh eggs when you are ready to bake.
Can I bake these in individual ramekins?
Yes - ramekins work beautifully and make serving easy alongside a big salad.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, paprika, and red pepper flakes, and give it a stir.
- Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a low boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce to an ovenproof skillet, and create six small wells in the sauce.
- Crack 1 egg into each well, put the skillet into the oven, and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
- Serve garnished with basil. VARIATION 1 SAUSAGE-BAKED EGGS: For a meatier breakfast, sauté about 1 pound spicy sausage with the garlic and onions before adding the rest of the ingredients and continuing with the recipe as written (see photo below). VARIATION 2 BAKED EGGS WITH GREENS: Prepare the baked eggs in individual ramekins, and serve on a plate with a big salad for lunch. PREP TIP: This recipe includes directions for making your own tomato sauce, but if you are short on time, a canned marinara sauce will do just fine (as long as it’s free of sugar and non-Paleo preservatives; Trader Joe’s has a great one in a big green can).
