Nana’s Tomato Sauce with Eggs
This recipe comes from a simple idea that my Great Grandmother had. She made a lovely fresh sauce with lots of fresh basil and she put fried eggs in! Everyone loved it, and it quickly became a family favorite. Nana made it for her children. And then my mother taught me how to make it.
Ingredients
2 cans of tomatoes (we prefer Red Pack, but Red Gold works too)
1 pound of Fusilli Lunghi pasta
1 large onion
Salt and Pepper
4 eggs
Basil
—
If you read the ingredients and didn’t recognize Fusilli Lunghi, start looking for it! It is one of my favorite pastas, and it is perfect for this dish. But do not break before putting it into the boiling water! The length makes it perfect for twirling!
Cut up your onion.
We like a coarse chop, but you can dice them if you prefer smaller pieces in your sauce.
Coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil. Then add all of the onions. Season with salt and pepper. We like to use sea salt in this step. Cook over medium heat until the onions reduce and become tender.
Add both cans of tomatoes. Stir occasionally as the sauce comes to a simmer.
While that is going, get started on your eggs. Grease your pan with some oil. We always crack eggs into a ramekin before transferring it to the pan. This prevents any problems- like shells getting on the pan.
Do this with the rest of your eggs. (1 or 2 per person)
Once the underside is cooked, flip the eggs.
Once the second side is cooked, you can transfer them to the sauce.
*Note* You don’t want the yolk to be runny when you transfer them to the sauce.
Be gentle!
Cover them with the sauce. Let them sit over a low heat to absorb the sauce.
Chop the basil.
Add it all to the sauce.
Gently mix it all in so it is evenly distributed.
Drain the pasta and put it back into the pot. Add a few spoon fulls of sauce. This keeps the pasta moist and prevents it from sticking together.
Add a portion of pasta to a bowl.
Put one of the eggs right on top.
Then, put as much extra sauce on as you want.
Serve with an Arugula and Peach Salad.
OH! And don’t forget the cheese.
I promise that this is what all of your plates will look like…
Thanks Mom. And Nana. 🙂
