Baked eggs Italian-style

Total Time:   26 min   Prep: 8 min  Cook:  18 min  Serves: 8
Difficulty: Easy

Somewhere between a baked frittata and pastaless lasagna, this casserole is delicious with an arugula salad or mixed greens served alongside. You’ll also love the fact that it comes together in less than half an hour, and that you only need five ingredients to make it. Feel free to adjust the red pepper flakes according to your spice tolerance. Eggs baked in the oven offer a wonderful creaminess, almost better than those cooked on top of the stove. However, the oven’s constant, ambient heat can toughen the eggs quite a bit, so a little fat (as here, in the shredded cheese) protects the delicate whites and keeps them tender.

Ingredients

Store bought marinara sauce

4 cup(s)

Basil

½ cup(s), fresh, chopped (do not use dried basil)

Egg(s)

8 large

 

 

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup(s), such as Parmigiano-Reggiano

Red pepper flakes

½ tsp

Instructions

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Pour the marinara sauce into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the chopped basil over the sauce.

3. Use the bottom of a small custard cup or a similarly sized glass to make 8 rounded indentations in the marinara sauce. Crack an egg into each of these indentations.

4. Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano and red pepper flakes over the tops of the eggs. Bake until the egg whites are set, the yolks are a bit runny and the cheese has melted, about 18 minutes. Serve by scooping eggs and sauce into individual bowls, using a large spoon. Yields about 1 egg and 1/3 cup sauce per serving.