Baked eggs with spinach, tomatoes, ricotta & basil

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

  • Prep:10 mins
    Cook:30 mins
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 271
  • fat 17g
  • saturates 5g
  • carbs 11g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 17g
  • salt 0.7g

Ingredients

  • 2 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)
  • 200g spinach, roughly chopped
  • 8 eggs
  • 100g ricotta
  • 40g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
  • handful of basil leaves
  • crusty bread or focaccia, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oil 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.

  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.

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