Eggs Al Pomodoro Recipes

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil and throw in the celery, carrots, onions and basil. Fry up the vegetables until soft, and add the bread. Stir thoroughly until the bread has absorbed all the extra-virgin olive oil. Add a few ladles of vegetable stock and continue to stir very well. The vegetable stock helps to break down the bread, turning it into a soft, porridge-like consistency. Add the remaining broth and let it reduce.
• Add the peeled plum tomatoes including the juices and roughly break up tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, making sure the pappa is dense, not soupy. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature and serve with a drizzle with the best extra-virgin olive oil you can find.

EGGS AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Add salt and vinegar (the latter is essential if you want your eggs to keep their shape in that rapid water).
• Gently crack an egg into the bath and lower the heat.
• Add another and repeat until they're all in the pot.
• Poach for about 2-3 minutes--this really depends on so many factors, from the temperature of the water that day to the specific egg, so I've found that it just takes practice. Eventually you'll know how long is right for the kind of egg you like (I personally enjoy mine golden and oozing).
• Plate your eggs, salt and pepper them, and drain the water so you can use the same pot, or, if you don't care about dirtying another pan, simultaneously do the next step.
• For a quick breakfast: simply heat up the bolognese in the pot and top your eggs with it.
• For a fancier brunch: brown the sausage in some olive oil, add the sprig of rosemary and tomato sauce, and let it all simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can marry. Top your eggs with the sauce, garnish with cheese, and devour ruthlessly.

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

BAKED EGGS WITH TOMATOES (UOVA AL PIATTO CON POMODORI)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a shallow flameproof dish.
• Add the onion, and cook until soft and golden.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions, and cook for 5-10 mins., or until the tomatoes are very soft.
• Stir in the chopped basil.
• Break the eggs, one at a ime, and slip them into the dish in one layer on top of the tomatoes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Dot with butter.
• Cover the dish, and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until the egg whites have just set, but the yolks are still soft.
• Serve at once.
• Variation: sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of freshly grated Prmesan cheese over the eggs before baking.