Uova in Purgatorio - Eggs in Purgatory

The Eggs in Purgatory is a traditional recipe from Naples, where the eggs are poached in a tomato and onion sauce. I like to make the dish a bit more interesting by adding other ingredients, such as olive taggiasche, crumbled goat cheese and plenty of basil. If you make it in summer, you will enjoy the unique sweetness of ripe tomatoes and of fresh red onions.

I choose good seasonal ingredients for a simple and tasty dish. Entertaining and haste free.

First I sauté the onions for a while. In the meantime, I plunge the tomatoes in boiling water, peel and chop them to eventually add them to the onions. They should cook together for 15 to 20 minutes before adding the olives and the egg. I sprinkle the dish with basil and goat cheese just before serving straight from the pan.
Any boiled grain or mash potatoes are the perfect accompaniment.

Uova in Purgatorio - Eggs in Purgatory

2 large red fresh onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves
Chilly
1 kg ripe vine tomatoes 
2 tablespoons olive taggiasche
50 g fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
4 large eggs
100 g fresh goat cheese
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking times: 35 minutes

1. In a large frying pan, heta 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt on low heat for 15 minutes, lead on.
2. Add the garlic and the chilli and cook for another minute.
3. Meanwhile, plunge the tomatoes in boiling water, peel and chop them. 
4. Add the tomatoes to the onions and leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.
5. Stir in the olives.
6. Crack each egg into a small bowl and carefully slip it into the pan. Leave to a gentle simmer, with a lid on, for up to 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
7. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with basil and dot with the goat cheese. 
8. Serve at once, directly from the pan.