Eggs In Purgatory, Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Eggs in Purgatory is a rustic Italian dish made by poaching eggs in a flavorful tomato sauce. Despite its wacky name, it's an extremely versatile one-pan brunch recipe that anyone can make. The only requirement is a nice crusty bread to sop up all the eggy, saucy goodness!

Eggs in Purgatory, or Uova al Purgatorio (also known as Italian shakshuka), is one of those dishes that feels fancy but is actually simple.

Shakshuka itself has North African roots, and you've probably spotted it on brunch menus- it's a tomato-based dish, often prepared with red peppers, cumin, paprika, and sometimes a little harissa for heat. The Italian version is a bit more rustic and pared down, relying on a few pantry staples to create a rich, good sauce.

So why the wacky name? Although "Eggs in Purgatory" might sound like the trailer for a spooky Halloween movie, it actually comes from the way the eggs, nestled in bubbling red tomato sauce, resemble souls caught between heaven and hell. Yikes! But we promise, eating it will NOT cause an existential crisis, and you'll definitely be coming back for more.

Key ingredients and substitutions

Easy ingredients- minimal effort. See what goes into this rustic Italian shakshuka.

• Canned tomatoes Easy and affordable, canned tomatoes offer a ton of flavor and convenience. Reach for whole tomatoes for a better flavor, and crush them yourself.
• Onions Adds a little sweetness to the sauce. Shallots would work as well.
• Garlic Is it even Italian if there's no garlic? We love using up our leftover roasted garlic when we have some on hand.
• Herbs and spices we like to use dried oregano, fresh basil, and fresh parsley. Don't forget the salt and pepper for seasoning.
• Spice If you like your sauce a little spicy, you can add crushed red pepper. We love our Calabrian chili paste, so we included it in the recipe. Not a fan of spice? leave it out, or use a pinch.
• Eggs For once, size doesn't matter.
• Olive oil To saute the onions and flavor the sauce.
• Bread Get yourself a fresh loaf of Italian bread for dunking! But any crusty bread (such as a French baguette or sourdough) will work.

Full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card below.

Step-by-step instructions

This one-skillet egg dish comes together in less than 30 minutes, and if you've made any type of tomato sauce before, then you've got this!

Step 1. In a large skillet, sauté the onions until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Do not brown.

Step 2. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your spoon.

Step 3. Add your seasonings, along with the fresh basil and pepper (if using). Cook on a low simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened.

Step 4. Use a spoon to test the thickness, by moving some of the sauce. If the sauce doesn't immediately fall back on itself, it's ready.

Step 5. Make 5-6 wells in the sauce. Add the eggs to the wells. One of our egg yolks cracked- but no biggy!

Step 6. Cover and cook until the whites are set, and the eggs are cooked to your liking.

*These are abbreviated instructions. The full list of directions can be found in the recipe card below.

Expert tips

• Whole tomatoes are more flavorful. If you can, choose canned whole tomatoes rather than crushed or diced tomatoes. Whole tomatoes also allow you to control the final texture of the sauce.
• Crack your eggs into little bowls. Trust us on this one! First if you get any shells in your bowl, you can remove them easily. Second, it's let's messy. Lastly, it allows you to get the eggs cooking at roughly the same time. If you cracked the eggs directly into the sauce, the first egg will be overcooked by the time you crack your last egg.
• Toast your bread. While a fresh loaf of Italian bread is good on its own, toasting the bread will add even more flavor (and crunch). We like to pan-fry our bread in a skillet with a little olive oil. Cut the bread on the diagonal for a prettier presentation.

Swaps

Eggs in Purgatory are so versatile. You can add anything you'd like to your sauce to suit your taste.

• Add more veggies. Like the Middle Eastern version, sauté red or green bell peppers along with the onions when preparing the sauce, or opt for other veggies such as peas, eggplant, or mushrooms.
• Get meaty. If you want to make your sauce more substantial, add some ground chopped sausage, pork, or turkey.
• Herbs and spices. Play around with spices such as sage or cumin.
• Caponata Eggs in Purgatory. Swap out the sauce in the recipe for our eggplant caponata and then continue to poach the eggs in the caponata instead. good!
• Chili Eggs in Purgatory. Got leftover chili? Again, omit the sauce, and use leftover chili as your "sauce" base. Continue to poach the eggs right in the chili!

And if none of these sound tempting, pry open a jar of your favorite store-bought tomato sauce, and you can have brunch on the table in record time. If using store-bought sauce, try to jazz it up a bit with fresh basil or parsley.

Serving suggestions

It's not Eggs in Purgatory without a good ol' crusty bread for dunking. If you have Italian blood like us, you are versed in Italian bread/sauce dipping. It's an art.

Don't have Italian bread? No problem. use a sturdy bread like a French baguette, sourdough, pita, naan, focaccia, or even bagels- toast them first. We mean you can even dunk a potato wedge in there, we don't care- get dunking!

Keeping leftovers

Italian shakshuka is best eaten right away, but it can be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge then reheated. The eggs may cook a bit more when reheated, but they will still be good.

You can reheat portions in the microwave until warmed through. We like to cover the plate with a bowl so the sauce doesn't splatter. You can also gently warm them on the stove in a skillet.

Kitchen questions

Our sauce is watery. What did we do wrong?

Nothing! continue to simmer your sauce (without the cover), until most of the water has evaporated. It will all depend on the size of your skillet and the type (and brand) of your canned tomatoes.

Warm and cozy, suited to cooler weather.