Eggs in Purgatory

Eggs in purgatory is a fast and warming comfort food. Eggs are poached in a spicy tomato sauce and served with bread on the side. It’s an easy 15-minute meal that you can have for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

two eggs in a skillet with spicy tomato sauce.

A fiery marinara sauce, poached eggs with velvety liquid yolks, and toasted bread. This, my friends, is eggs in purgatory, otherwise known as one of my all-time favorite easy recipes. I make it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It knows no mealtime boundaries.

This simple dish originated in Naples, Italy, and is thought to be named for the Catholic idea of purgatory. In this case, the eggs are the souls trapped in a bubbling spicy tomato sauce otherwise known as purgatory. It’s all very dramatic. And, like most Italian dishes, it’s incredibly simple and delicious.

Some call it Italian shakshuka. Shakshuka, a Middle Eastern dish, is another dish with eggs cooked in a spicy, flavorful tomato sauce. The Italian take is made in the same way – eggs poached in a tomato sauce and served with crusty bread.

What I love about this eggs in purgatory recipe is that it’s super savory, comforting, and so easy to make.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Minced garlic cloves
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Large eggs
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Toasted crusty bread

Steps

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic, stirring for a minute or so until fragrant.

Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and basil. Stir and bring the sauce to a strong simmer. Crack the eggs open and slip them onto the sauce. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook just until the whites are set. Keep an eye on them as they will cook fast – it should take less than 5 minutes.

Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top of the sauce and eggs. Slide the cooked eggs and sauce into a bowl and serve with toasted bread. Or, enjoy it straight from the skillet.

Two pieces of toast with eggs in purgatory in a skillet.

Tips

This is a small-batch recipe for one that works best in a small skillet or pan. You can double it to serve two and use a large skillet.

Instead of making the sauce, feel free to use your favorite jarred marinara. I do it all the time and it makes things even faster. I still add the fresh herbs for a pop of freshness.

Speaking of herbs, you can use fresh basil or try fresh parsley, thyme, or even chopped rosemary.

Feel free to cook the eggs to your preferred doneness, but I highly recommend runny yolks. When you break the yolk it will spill into the sauce making everything even more delicious. So wait until egg whites are firm and cooked through but the yolk should still be jiggly.

You can adjust the level of spicy and add more chili flakes or pull back on them and make the sauce less spicy.

I love to garnish it with grated Parmesan, some black pepper, and a sprinkling of herbs, but you can also use crumbled feta cheese or another type of cheese like shredded Asiago, Romano, or mozzarella. I’ve made it with blue cheese crumbles, too, and while it’s not authentic it’s very, very good.

Don’t forget the crispy, toasted bread – it’s essential for mopping up all the delicious sauce.

I love eggs in purgatory all year, but especially when the weather is cool and crisp – it’s so cozy and comforting. I hope you give it a try!

Happy easy cooking,

April

More Easy Recipes with Eggs

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Eggs in Purgatory

Eggs in Purgatory

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Eggs in purgatory is a fast and warming comfort food. Eggs are poached in a spicy tomato sauce and served with bread on the side. It’s an easy 15-minute meal that you can have for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

  • Author: April Anderson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Poach
  • Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (see note)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon basil (see note)
  • 2 eggs
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Toasted bread, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic, stirring for a minute or so until fragrant.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and basil. Stir and bring the sauce to a strong simmer. Crack the eggs open and slip them onto the sauce. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook just until the whites are set. Keep an eye on them as they will cook fast – it should take less than 5 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top of the sauce and eggs. Serve with toasted bread.

Notes

Start with 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and give the sauce a taste. If you like it a little more fiery add more to your taste.

The nutrition estimate does not include the bread or Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 312
  • Sugar: 6.6g
  • Sodium: 2744.7mg
  • Fat: 24.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 17.5g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.3g
  • Fiber: 4.8g
  • Protein: 14.9g
  • Cholesterol: 372mg

Do you love this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a comment and your recipe star rating!

Post updated from the archives. First published in January 2017.

17 Comments

  1. this looks so amazing that I am going to try it tonight on a nice snowy Colorado evening. I happen to have everything on hand…it is meant to be
    I have to tell you I loooove poached eggs but have always been scared to try them myself, it’s my “going out to eat” treat. This makes me feel like I can do it!

    1. I think it’s easier to poach them in a sauce than water – they just sort of sit it in it making it easy. Just be sure to keep an eye on them – as soon as the whites are set they are ready to go 🙂

  2. That sounds utterly delicious although I am completely lost on the phone thing, mine only rings when we have a delivery, although take out my ‘hard wired’ interwebs and I have a meltdown quicker than you can say purgatory 😉

  3. Haha I totally understand the phone thing, and the eggs sound so good, I love eggs and finding new and easy ways to cook them is always good. Great recipe.

  4. Awwee did you get a new phone yet? I didn’t think I could live without mine for even a minute but we took a vacation last year where they was no cell phone connectivity for 3 days and it actually felt really good. This meal though is the perfect way to get through life when your cell phone dies on you 😛

  5. This! I have to remember to try it. We go through eggs quite a bit in this house since they’re easy to make and everyone likes them. I’ll probably adjust the heat slightly for the toddler, but otherwise, I think this comfort dish would go over very well. Yum!

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