In this Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce dish eggs are cracked over a simple San Marzano tomato sauce and topped with fontina cheese and crispy breadcrumbs. It is savory, cheesy, melty, and crispy, and can be served with crusty bread to sop up any extra sauce.
This is one of our go-to late night meals, particularly if we want something for just the two of us after the kids have gone to bed. The other is this equally indulgent Gnocchi and Baby Broccoli in a Brown Butter Sage Sauce. Both are really easy to make, super savory, and neither takes too long or too much effort.
We typically have extra sauce on hand for this dish since we use the same sauce for Grandma Pie Pizza and freeze extra. However, putting the sauce together takes very little time. It's just a few easy ingredients in a blender. The eggs make this dish filling, and combining the cheese and the eggs in the tomato sauce gives you that decadent savory bite that makes you slow down to enjoy it. Make sure to eat it while it's hot.
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💡 Recipe Inspiration:
My husband made this dish the first time one night after the kids were in bed. It was such a success, that we now regularly make it when planning an at-home date night. It’s not too dissimilar from our Spinach and Egg Breakfasts cups, but with an Italian spin and made in a square baking dish rather than ramekins. We always have this for dinner, but it could easily be made for breakfast too.
Its not too dissimilar from an Italian dish called Eggs In Purgatory, which in turn is similar to a dish called Shakshuka. This version, however, includes melty fontina cheese and crispy bread crumbs for a little more indulgence.
🌟 Why You'll Love This Dish
Quick and Easy: With just a few simple ingredients, it comes together in about 30 minutes.
Simple Sauce: The eggs are cooked in a tomato sauce that is so simple and so good and made with San Marzano tomatoes.
Savory: The fat from the eggs and the melty cheese combine with the sauce to make it extra savory.
Crispy: The panko breadcrumbs on top add a crispy crunchy top.
🛒 Ingredients
Below are a few notes on the ingredients needed to make Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce.
- Can of San Marzano Tomatoes: I use a can of San Marzano tomatoes to make the sauce. It's important to use a can of San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. These canned tomatoes have a very unique taste as they are grown in the fertile land around Mt. Vesuvius. They can usually be found at a regular grocery store, Trader Joe's, Target, or Whole Foods.
- Garlic: Garlic cloves are added whole to the sauce in the blender.
- Olive Oil: Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It makes a big difference. I like to use Spanish olive oil from Trader Joe's or Costco.
- Fontina: Fontina cheese works best in this dish, with just the right amount of flavor and intensity to taste great but not overtake the tomato sauce and eggs. We've also made this with Monterrey Jack cheese which is a good substitute if you can't find Fontina.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, pasture-raised if possible.
- Bread Crumbs: Use panko bread crumbs. If you don't have any you can omit this ingredient.
- Crusty Bread (optional): You certainly don’t need to have crusty bread on hand to serve with this (it’s definitely not a light dish), but it’s really nice to sop up the extra sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥚 Variations and Adjustments
- This dish can be made for dinner or breakfast.
- Vary the number of eggs depending on how many people you are serving and how hungry they are.
- The amounts and timing are based on using an 8x8 square ceramic baking dish. If you’re using a different-sized dish or a metal or glass baking dish you may need to adjust the timing and the amount of sauce and cheese. You could also use a cast iron pan which works well in the oven
- This dish can easily be scaled up. You could use a larger dish with more of all the ingredients to serve a larger group.
- Herbs: Feel free to toss in a few fresh herbs if you have them: basil or parsley, or even some spinach would be a nice bright addition.
📝 How to Make Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce
Below are the step-by-step instructions, photos, and a few tips for making Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Make the Sauce: In a blender add the can of San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
Step 2. Add the Sauce: Add 1 ½ cups of the blended tomato sauce to an 8x8 square baking dish.
Tip: Using 1½ cups of sauce is just the right amount. If you use 1 cup, there will not be enough sauce. Use 2 cups and there will be too much sauce. 1½ cups is the perfect amount in an 8x8 ceramic baking dish. You may need more sauce if you're using a 9x9 square dish.
Step 3. Add the Eggs: Crack each of the eggs over the sauce. Do not mix the eggs with the sauce. Gently break the yolks.
Step 4. Add Fontina and Bread Crumbs: Sprinkle the shredded fontina over the eggs, then top with the bread crumbs.
Step 5. Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake at 375°F for 22-26 minutes. For over hard eggs, bake for 26 minutes. For softer eggs reduce the time from there.
Tip: For an extra crispy golden brown top, broil for 1-2 minutes before removing the dish from the oven.
If You’re Looking For Other Meal Ideas, Here Are A Few That I Love:
Gnocchi and Baby Broccoli in a Brown Butter Sauce: Great for an easy date night at home.
Grandma Pie - Quarantine Pizza: For any leftover sauce, use this recipe for a great easy pizza to serve a crowd.
Spinach and Egg Breakfast Cups: Small portions for a weekday or weekend breakfast
If you make this Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce dish or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Eggs Baked in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Eggs & Toppings
- 8 eggs
- ⅓ lb fontina, shredded
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- crusty bread optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a blender combine the San Marzano tomatoes, garlic cloves, 6 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Set aside 1½ cups of the sauce. The remaining sauce you can freeze or use for another recipe like Grandma Pie Pizza.
- Add 1½ cups of the tomato sauce to the dish.
- Crack each egg over the sauce. Gently break the yolks. Do not mix or combine with the sauce.
- Top with the fontina cheese, panko bread crumbs, and a crackor two of salt and pepper.
- Bake at 375°F for 22-26 minutes or until eggs are set to your preference. If you want eggs over hard bake for 26 minutes. Reduce the time from there if you want your eggs to be softer/runnier.For an extra brown crispy top, broil for 1-2 minutes before removing from the oven.
- Serve immediately with a crusty bread (optional).
Notes
- Can of San Marzano Tomatoes: It's important to use a can of San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. These canned tomatoes have a very unique taste as they are grown in the fertile land around Mt. Vesuvius. They can usually be found at a regular grocery store, Trader Joe's, Target, or Whole Foods.
- How Much Sauce: Using 1½ cups of sauce is just the right amount. If you use 1 cup, there will not be enough sauce. Use 2 cups and there will be too much sauce. 1½ cups is the perfect amount in an 8x8 ceramic baking dish. You may need more sauce if you're using a 9x9 square dish.
- Olive Oil: Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It makes a big difference. I like to use Spanish olive oil from Trader Joe's or Costco.
- Fontina: Fontina cheese works best in this dish, with just the right amount of flavor and intensity to taste great but not overtake the tomato sauce and eggs. We've also made this with Monterrey Jack cheese which is a good substitute if you can't find Fontina.
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