Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Eggs poached in tomato sauce is one of those really delicious dishes that you can tell came about at some point because someone was both creative and faced with leftovers that needed using up. However it originally came about, it’s a delicious combination that makes for a super easy meal any time of day that tastes like way more work than it was. I am a particularly big fan of having this for breakfast on weekend mornings or dinner when I get home from work and don’t really want to cook. The proportions I use here are rough and would feed either one very hungry person or two average people with an extra couple hunks of bread. If you want to scale it up you can bake the eggs in a casserole dish with the sauce rather than cooking it on the stove–the end result is just about the same and all methods yield scrumptious results.

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 cups tomato sauce
2-3 eggs
1-2 tablespoons shredded parmesan (optional)
crusty bread for dipping

Directions:
Heat the tomato sauce over medium heat in a small frying pan (I’d recommend non-stick, if you have it) that allows for a depth of about and inch and a half of sauce. Add more sauce if you need to to get there. When sauce is simmering add the eggs, avoiding crowding so they don’t clump together. Allow eggs to simmer in the sauce until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking. Lift the eggs out with a spoon and place in bowls. Divide the remaining sauce between the dishes and top with a sprinkle of parmesan. Eat with crusty bread to soak up the sauce and scoop up the egg.

Variations:
-Add about 2 ounces of soy chorizo to the tomato sauce when it’s bubbling and cook the rest as usual for a spicier, heartier version.
-Add crumbled, browned bulk sausage meat or ground beef/turkey and simmer for a few minutes before adding the eggs.
-Leftover grilled or sauteed onions and peppers are also great additions, but add them in the last few minutes of cooking or after the eggs are cooked so that they don’t cook to mush while the eggs firm up.
-Serve the sauce and eggs over polenta, pasta or egg noodles instead of bread, or scoop up with tortillas.