This quick and easy Eggs in Purgatory has eggs poached in a spicy red sauce made with fresh cherry tomatoes. It's a super flavorful one-pan breakfast or brunch that you'll want to put on repeat!
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
Eggs in Purgatory comes from southern Italy, and it's so simple to make. First, you make a quick spicy tomato sauce. Then you poach eggs in the sauce until set. That's it!
So flavorful and such a deliciously different way to eat eggs, it's gotten me out of many a breakfast rut. So when your morning meals need a little change-up, give this dish a try. It'll wake up your taste buds and make you excited for breakfast again.
Here are more reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- Quick, Easy & Simple Ingredients. Ready in less than 30 minutes and very easy to make, you only need a few basic ingredients (and you might already keep most or all of them on hand).
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes. Most recipes for this dish use canned tomatoes, but I prefer the flavor and texture of fresh tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are my choice because they are always available and are sweet and tasty all year round.
- One Pan. Less dishes to wash.
- Versatile. Although most often eaten for breakfast or brunch, Eggs in Purgatory also makes a great lunch or light supper. And it's even impressive enough for serving guests.
Want more easy egg dishes that you can serve any time of the day?
Try my Huevos Rancheros (Mexican-Style Ranch Eggs), Kale, Tomato and Feta Frittata and Broccoli and Cheese Crustless Quiche.
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Ingredients You Need
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make Eggs in Purgatory with fresh cherry tomatoes, along with some notes on preparation and making the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Cherry Tomatoes (or grape tomatoes) - Cut each one in half.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - Regular or light olive oil can also be used, but extra-virgin has more flavor.
- Onions - Diced
- Fresh Garlic - Minced
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - This is what gives the sauce that spicy heat. You can adjust the amount to suit your own tastes.
- Eggs - I use large eggs.
- Salt & Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese - For serving; freshly shredded is best.
- Fresh Parsley - For serving; fresh basil is also very good when it's in season.
How to Make Eggs in Purgatory
This is a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onions in olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat until starting to soften. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; sauté 1 minute.
Add the cherry tomatoes and salt; stir to combine. Put the lid on the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and release their liquid.
Gently mash the tomatoes with a fork. Then simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
Make a small well in the sauce for each egg. Crack one egg into each well; season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and simmer until the eggs whites are set and the yolks are done to your liking. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- You can crack each egg into a ramekin before adding it to the sauce, where it will be easier to remove any pieces of shell if you happen to get any.
- The thinner part of the egg whites will likely spread out into the sauce a bit while cooking. I just cover that up with some of the sauce when serving.
- I don't recommend using a cast-iron or carbon steel skillet for this recipe. The acid in the tomatoes can react with the pan and cause a metallic taste, and it can also damage the seasoning on your pan.
Serving Suggestions
To serve, spoon the sauce into a shallow bowl or onto a plate and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley or basil.
Pair it with toast or crusty bread (or even garlic bread) for mopping up every bit of that yummy sauce. It also goes great with your favorite breakfast potatoes, such as my Leftover Baked Potato Home Fries or Air Fryer Potatoes O'Brien.
Leftover Storage & Reheating
This dish is best when served immediately, so I recommend making only as much as you plan to serve in one sitting. You can scale the recipe up or down as needed.
However, if you do happen to have leftovers, once cooled, store them covered or in an airtight container the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
When reheating, reheat the sauce first in a pan over low heat. Then add the egg(s) on top of the sauce, cover the pan and continue cooking just until the egg is heated through.
FAQ
Dervied from Catholic beliefs, it is said that the spicy red bubbling sauce represents the flames of Purgatory where souls - represented by the white eggs - are purified before entering Heaven.
Both dishes are basically eggs simmered in a spicy tomato-based sauce. The North African Shakshuka often includes bell peppers and spices such as cumin, paprika, chili powder, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Eggs In Purgatory is a bit more simple, leaving out the bell peppers and using herbs like parsley, basil or oregano. I guess you could call it Italian Shakshuka!
I hope you try this fresh cherry tomato Eggs In Purgatory recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Eggs In Purgatory
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup diced onions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (with this amount, the dish has a mild heat)
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (1 dry pint)
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided; or to taste (I use kosher salt; if using table salt, you may want to use less)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, for serving, to taste
Instructions
Make the Tomato Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring often, until they start to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; sauté, stirring constantly, for one minute.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and release their liquid, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Gently mash the tomatoes with a fork. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Poach the Eggs
- Make 4 small wells in the sauce, then crack one egg into each well. Season the eggs with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and the pepper.
- Cover and simmer until the egg whites are set and the yolks are done to your liking; the time needed will vary depending on how you want the eggs cooked. Just keep an eye on them. I like my yolks mostly set but still a little jammy, and it takes about 5 minutes.
Serve
- For each serving, place half of the sauce into a shallow bowl or onto a plate and top with 2 eggs. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like to serve this with crusty bread or toast for mopping up any sauce left in the bowls. It's also delicious with home fries/breakfast potatoes.
- This dish is best when served immediately, so I recommend making only as much as you plan to serve in one sitting. You can scale the recipe up or down as needed.
- If desired, you can crack each egg into a ramekin before adding it to the sauce, where it will be easier to remove any pieces of shell if you happen to get any.
- The thinner part of the egg whites will likely spread out into the sauce a bit during cooking. I just cover that up with some of the sauce when serving.
- I don't recommend using a cast-iron or carbon steel skillet for this recipe. The acid in the tomatoes can react with the pan and cause a metallic taste, and it can also damage the seasoning on your pan.
- Instead of parsley, fresh basil is very good instead when it's in season.
- Estimated calories shown is for the eggs and sauce only and does not include parmesan cheese.
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