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Italian-Style Baked Eggs with Fresh Herb Gremolata
An Italian-inspired breakfast/brunch dish. It's delicious, hearty and beautiful to behold!
Ingredients
- 2 strips thick cut smokey bacon
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 2 14.5 ounce fire-roasted canned tomatoes puréed
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 2 teaspoons dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs, salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- fresh lemon zest
- 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Set a sheet pan on the middle rack.
- In a medium-size skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Keeping heat on medium, add onions to pan and cook 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook one more minute.
- Add next 7 ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes or until sauce is thick and chunky.
- Transfer hot sauce to 4 1-cup individual cast iron pans or shallow ramekins*. Make a well in the center of each, carefully break an egg into each well. Transfer to preheated sheet pan in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until egg whites are almost completely opaque (eggs will bake a bit more as they sit, don't over bake) and yolks are still soft in the center.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle each serving generously with the gremolata. Serve immediately.
Notes
~ You can also use a larger ceramic or cast iron skillet and make it a one-dish meal. Pan or skillet should be fairly shallow and hold at least 5 cups.
~ To make ahead, prepare the sauce and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and preheat oven as directed. Hea sauce till hot and bubbly, then transfer to baking dish(es) and proceed with baking as directed.
~ To make ahead, prepare the sauce and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and preheat oven as directed. Hea sauce till hot and bubbly, then transfer to baking dish(es) and proceed with baking as directed.
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Fire-roasted canned tomatoes? That's a new one to me. I've never seen them in the supermarket (Australia). I'll have to go looking in some delis. The recipe looks great - I'll have to try it soon.
Hi Michelle, if you can't find the fire-roasted tomatoes (they've become quite common here in the States) just use regular. It will be delicious!
Thanks Chris 🙂
This dish look delicious. I will be making this for my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter who are here for a visit. However, I must have missed a step.... when do the bacon get added - or - are they served separately?
Hi Thelma,
Thanks for noticing this. The bacon is added with the other ingredients just before simmering. I corrected the recipe. Thanks!
This dish looks wonderful and I am always on the look out for new egg dishes!
Jemma
I can just imagine how lovely your spring flowers are as I look out at our orchard covered in more than a foot of snow. Your egg dish would be a good way to brighten the day.
I also think of brunch more often in the spring. This spring I would love to try this recipe. I have been looking for small skillets like these also. Where did you find them?
Your eggs look like the perfect dish for a lovely brunch. I live in Minnesota and I am so looking for warmer weather. I would love to see some flowers making their about now.
I love baked eggs over anything! You mixed onions, tomatoes, bacon - all the things I like to see in my breakfast. I am sure this was just a skillet full of yumminess!
These baked eggs would be delicious for any meal of the day! Gremolata tastes like spring to me (and here in St. Louis we need to escape from winter any way we can!) I love brunch...starting with breakfast foods and moving your way toward more luch-like fare. Cooking in cast iron skillets has become so popular (again). Little individual serving skillets would make serving easy and what a beautiful presentation!
Chris, What a gorgeous dish you have here. It most definitely welcomes spring, but I'd make this any time of year. While harsh winters have escaped you, the fact you share your special day with Uncle Sam's big day hasn't. May you always receive a ginormous tax return for your birthday!
Now I'm thinking that skillet is my one serving, right? I love food served directly from the skillet, and this is gorgeous...reminds me of shakshuka...what a winner winner!!! xo
What a great way to serve a small crowd. Beautiful pics!
We just love baked eggs with tomatoes at our house. This version looks and sounds wonderful!
How delicious! The gremolata is such a wonderful idea - for breakfast, lunch OR dinner!
Chris, actually I like the individual servings very much - always go for the small things, I guess - and, yes, your baked eggs with gremolata seem perfect for a brunch - these cute pans would look so pretty on our table too!
Lots of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths around here already - certainly has started to look like spring!
What a beautiful and flavourful meal!
I don't think I could cope with living through a Maine winter again. I must be a wuss. 🙂 Things might be easier with a plate of these wonderful Italian baked eggs !
It's about this time of year I start to get jealous cause I know we're headed into the colder months. No snow here but I'm a summer girl. I'm a big fan of brunch too Chris although I usually need a little snack at breakfast time so I make it through.
Love the pan too:-)
You must love The Carolinas:-)
The beaches look so beautiful 🙂
Oh my gosh this looks so good. Very attractive presentation.
What a great photographer you are, Chris! You always capture every bit, every corner of deliciousness from your gorgeous dishes. All that I need is a fork to dig in it!
Brunch? I am thinking about these for dinner tonight!