Ingredients
- 2 ounces salted butter, softened
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 8 slices crusty Italian bread (1/2-inch thick slices)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 3 cups tomato sauce (recipe linked above)
- 4 large eggs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh oregano, for garnish (optional)
Chef notes
Eggs in purgatory, or uova in purgatorio, is the Neapolitan version of shakshuka. The spicy, bright red tomato sauce and fast-cooking eggs makes for a quick and light dinner. I like to serve it with a simply dressed side salad.
Preparation
For the garlic bread:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
In a bowl, whip the butter, garlic and garlic powder until smooth. Generously spread the garlic butter onto one side of the sliced bread and place onto the prepared sheet pan. Set aside.
For the eggs:
In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Using a spoon, push the sauce to make a cavity and add an egg. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs.
Season each egg with salt and pepper and cover the skillet with a lid. Simmer until the whites are cooked through but the yolks are still slightly runny, about 8-10 minutes.
Bake the garlic bread until the crusts are crispy, 8-10 minutes.
To serve:
Scoop an egg, along with some sauce, onto a dinner plate. Add a couple slices of garlic bread to each plate. Garnish with additional red pepper flakes and fresh oregano, if desired.
