PREV
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of making an insanely delicious recipe from the random food you have in your fridge. We are giving new life to the half full jar of pasta sauce and eggs in your fridge and livening it up with some pesto and herbs. I would say a jar of pasta and eggs are typically things people have in their fridge, making this a super simple go-to meal for your weekly fridge clean out.
Although I made this with what I had on hand, I will say it is worth the trip to the grocery store if you’re feeling inspired. It’s the perfect lazy brunch or quick lunch, but also filling enough to have for dinner as well. I think you’ll be surprised at how much you love this!
The recipe uses measurements from a full standard 24 oz jar of marinara sauce, but as you can see in the photo I adjusted the recipe for a 75% of the way full jar I had in my fridge so I only used 4 eggs. Don’t stress about the measurements too hard, it’s pretty impossible to mess up.
What is Eggs in Purgatory?
If you have ever heard of shakshuka, this one-pan dish is essentially the Italian version. Both have poached eggs in a thickened tomato sauce, but rather than Middle Eastern Spices like cumin or sweet paprika, Eggs in Purgatory has Italian herbs and spices.
Since I did this as a fridge clean out, it is an even simpler version of a very simple dish. Feel free to sauté onions before adding the sauce or use fresh basil and garlic if you have it. The pesto is optional as it is not traditionally used, but I had it in my fridge and it made a delicious addition. I used Rao’s marinara as it is my go to when I am not in the mood to make it homemade or don’t have the ingredients. Either way it’s helpful to have a jar on hand. If you want to make it homemade, you can follow my recipe here.
Letting the sauce simmer and thicken is the best way to prepare it to make divots for the eggs. You can test the sauce by making a divot and seeing how well it holds. You want it to be able to hold enough for when you put the eggs into the divots. If you are nervous about cracking eggs directly into the divots made, feel free to crack them into a bowl first to avoid nicking the yolk on the edge of the shell. The eggs in this dish are the main source of protein and really are the star of the show. Just adjust cooking time for how runny or not runny you prefer them.
