Eggs in Purgatory can be considered the Italian version of Shakshuka, which at its core is eggs cooked in a tomato sauce often with other peppers, vegetables or spices. This is a great breakfast dish that really doesn’t take much active time but has an amazing flavor. We love having this for breakfast or lunch, but it is perfect for dinner too! The added Italian sausage makes this dish a bit heartier, and we like the hot variety best for this application.
Looking for more Italian breakfast ideas? Try our Homemade Almond Biscotti (Italian Cantucci)!
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make this Italian baked eggs dish:
- Olive oil: Any olive oil works here since all you are using it for is to brown the sausage.
- Italian sausage (casing removed): Italian sausage (mild or hot sausages) give this sauce a beautiful Italian flavor.
- Onion: We use yellow onion for this recipe. Sweet onions work here too.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves: Minced garlic in the tomato sausage sauce gives this baked eggs recipe nice flavor without being overpowering.
- Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are the base of the sauce.
- Fennel seeds: Lightly toasting the whole fennel seeds in a dry pan adds a nice toasty flavor to the sauce.
- Italian seasoning: An Italian seasoning blend provides nice flavor from a combination of Italian spices.
- Dried thyme: Dried thyme is best in this recipe, but fresh thyme will work here as well.
- Dried oregano: Like the thyme in this recipe, dried oregano is best, but fresh thyme will work here as well.
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes: Crushed red pepper flakes add the perfect touch of heat without making this dish spicy.
- Salt
- Balsamic vinegar: A touch of balsamic vinegar balances out the flavors in the sauce.
- Eggs: We always recommend getting high quality eggs for a dish like this, but use whatever chicken eggs you generally buy.
- Cherry/grape tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes added to the top of the sauce with the eggs provide an additional fresh flavor to the final dish.
- Mozzarella balls (ciliegine): Small cherry-sized mozzarella balls add to the perfect amount of cheese for richness in the dish.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adding fresh grated Parmigniano Reggiano to the finished skillet is always recommended!
- Fresh basil or oregano: These are used to garnish the baked eggs skillet to serve.
Modifications
The most important thing in this recipe is to make sure the yolks are still runny! To ensure we get a runny yolk on the egg, we bake this in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes. If you prefer to cook this on the stovetop, simply cover the pan you are using and continue to cook until the whites of the eggs are set.
In the summer, adding just fresh basil instead of the oregano is also a good option, although oregano is perfect year-round. There really are several little tweaks that can be done to suit your taste, so please experiment. A few ideas are adding bell peppers, using a different cheese combination (like asiago and pecorino Romano, or fontina instead of mozzarella.)
Enjoy!
We hope you enjoy our version of Eggs in Purgatory! If you give it a try, leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!
Looking for more breakfast and brunch recipes? Check these out:
- 4 Delicious Cheese-Filled Crêpe Recipes
- Goat Cheese, Spinach, Basil and Prosciutto Quiche
- Mushroom Shallot and Mascarpone Cream Tartlets
📖 Recipe
Eggs in Purgatory - Italian Baked Eggs in Garlic Tomato Sausage Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 links (8 oz) Italian sausage (casing removed) - (230 g)
- 1 onion diced (300g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (1.2 kg)
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (lightly toasted in a dry skillet)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon salt (see note)
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 eggs
- 4 oz (115g) Cherry/grape tomatoes halved
- 4 oz Mozzarella balls (ciliegine), halved
- Parmesan and fresh basil or oregano (chiffonade or small leaves) to serve
Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet, add oil and sausage to the pan to brown over medium-high for about 5 minutes. Once browned, remove to a bowl and set aside.2 links (8 oz) Italian sausage (casing removed) - (230 g), 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add onions to the skillet and sauté for 4 minutes. Then add garlic for 30 seconds. Pour off excess oil if required (this will depend on how fatty your sausage is). And add sausage back to the skillet.1 onion diced (300g), 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Reduce heat to medium, and add the cans of diced tomatoes, spices, and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to low and cook for 20 minutes.3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (1.2 kg), 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (lightly toasted in a dry skillet), 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt (see note)
- Preheat over to 375° F.
- After 20 minutes, taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Then make 4 small holes in the sauce and crack the eggs in each hole. Add the halved tomatoes and mozzarella, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until the whites of the eggs have set.½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 4 oz (115g) Cherry/grape tomatoes halved, 4 eggs, 4 oz Mozzarella balls (ciliegine), halved
- Once done, remove from oven and garnish with shaved parmesan and fresh oregano or basil.Parmesan and fresh basil or oregano (chiffonade or small leaves) to serve
Angela says
This is definitely at the top of my list of Italian breakfast dishes! That sauce is so good and can be made alone tossed with pasta, but is perfect in this dish!