- 25 minutes
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 20 minutes
- Serves 4
Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Half a teaspoon dried chilli flakes, or a pinch for a milder sauce
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes (400g each)
- Half a teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 8 eggs
- 15g fresh basil, leaves torn
Let's cook
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan that has a lid, on a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Pour in the tomatoes, add the salt and a few turns of pepper, and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick enough to hold a hollow when you drag a spoon through it.
- Make 8 small hollows in the sauce with the back of a spoon. Crack an egg into each one.
- Turn the heat down to low, put the lid on and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the egg whites are completely set and white, with no clear jelly left. The yolks should still be soft. For firm yolks, cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Scatter over the basil and a little more pepper, and serve 2 eggs each, spooned out with plenty of sauce.
Tips
- Crack each egg into a cup first, then tip it into its hollow. It is easier, and any bits of shell are easy to fish out.
- UK eggs with the British Lion stamp are safe with runny yolks for everyone. With other eggs, cook the yolks firm for pregnant women, babies and older people.
Swaps
- Serve with toasted bread or focaccia for dipping. This adds gluten.
- Finish with a spoonful of grated vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese. This adds milk.
- No chilli for children: leave out the flakes and add a pinch of dried oregano instead.
Tags
Contains: Eggs .
Of the 14 allergens, only eggs are in this recipe. The tomatoes, onion, garlic, chilli and basil contain none of the 14.
Check every packet for allergens.