Ina Garten easy eggs in purgatory takes after a Missy Robbins recipe, but with one shortcut. She skips homemade arrabbiata and uses a jar of Rao’s instead, so this breakfast idea turns into dinner for two in one pan. Toasted country bread goes on the side for scooping.
Press a dent into the sauce with the edge of the bowl before each egg slides in. Then cover the pan and start checking at four minutes, because the yolks firm up fast once the whites set.
Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)
Ina Garten Easy Eggs In Purgatory
Course: BreakfastCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy2
servings10
minutes20
minutes730
kcalSliced onions and garlic simmer into jarred arrabbiata with rosemary and red pepper flakes, then four eggs cook right in the sauce under a tight lid. Pecorino and parsley go on at the end, with toasted country bread for scooping.
Ingredients
Good olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (24-ounce) jar Rao’s Arrabbiata Sauce
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (6-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
4 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese
1½ teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 slices toasted country bread, for serving
Directions
- Build the sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium (10-inch) sauté pan. Add the onions and cook over medium to medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the arrabbiata sauce, red pepper flakes, and rosemary, bring to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the sprig of rosemary.
- Add the eggs: Carefully crack one of the eggs into a small (4-inch) bowl and gently slide it into one corner of the pan (don’t break the yolk), using the edge of the bowl to make a slight indentation in the sauce as you pour the egg in. Repeat with the remaining 3 eggs, placing them on opposite sides of the pan. Cover the pan tightly and cook over medium-low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Sprinkle with the Pecorino, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper, cover the pan again, and cook for one more minute.
- Serve: To serve, use a large spoon to scoop up two eggs per person along with some of the sauce and carefully transfer to shallow bowls. Spoon the remaining sauce around the eggs and serve hot with the toasted bread.
FAQs
Can I use a different jarred sauce instead of Rao’s arrabbiata?
Any good jarred arrabbiata works here, and plain marinara works too if you add more red pepper flakes. What matters is that the sauce is thick enough to hold the eggs in place. A thin, watery sauce lets the whites spread out and the shape goes.
Why did my yolks come out hard?
The pan stayed covered too long. Start checking at four minutes and pull the pan off the heat the moment the whites turn opaque. Hot sauce keeps cooking the eggs after the burner goes off, so a little early beats a little late.
Can I make this ahead of time?
The sauce part, yes. Cook the onions, garlic and sauce a day early, then reheat it in the pan before the eggs go in. The eggs have to happen right before you eat, because reheated soft eggs turn rubbery and the yolks set solid.
What pan should I use?
A medium 10-inch sauté pan with a lid that seals well. The lid does more work than the pan, since the trapped steam is what sets the tops of the whites. If your lid is loose, cover the pan tightly with foil instead.
Do leftovers keep?
Not really, and I would not count on them. The yolks keep firming up in the fridge and the whites go watery, so the next day it is a different dish. Leftover sauce on its own keeps fine for about four days, so crack fresh eggs into that.
