Nova in Purgatorio - Eggs in Purgatory

I'm pretty sure I've told you this before, but I was gifted with the Sopranos Family Cookbook after the big guy returned from a trip to New Jersey earlier this year. Inside is a glorious photograph of Nova in Purgatorio - perfectly gorgeous eggs poached in a marinara sauce. I just had to make it!

Now, I mean no disrespect but if this is purgatory, I want to be there. OK I hear you... so I need to be careful what I wish for but talk about a glorious way to pass off the normal poached breakfast cackleberry as dinner and what a dinner it is!

In the interest of keeping the family "dominus" aka "don" happy, I changed up the recipe a tad in deference to the big guy's meat requirements and added some spicy Italian sausage along with tiny little zucchini cubes to our marinara sauce (Trader Joe's cause I was being lazy sloth). The end result was a real home run - spicy, homey, soul satisfying and just downright delicious.

Be sure to enjoy it along with some crisp cheese toast - oh and a word to the wise from the unwise; please be careful not to overcook the eggs. They should have a lot of "jiggle" left in them because they'll continue to cook after you remove the pan from the heat. Now it may not look like it but ours were bordering on hockey puck status, which is a downright shame because a little yolky goo would have been marvelous with the toast. Just sayin'. Download Nova in Purgatorio - Eggs in Marinara Sauce

Nova in Purgatorio – Eggs in Marinara Sauce (adapted from Sopranos Family Cookbook)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 link Italian sausage crumbled (without casing)

1 small zucchini, diced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano

1 – 18 ounce jar prepared marinara sauce

1/3 cup water

4 eggs

Freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish

Cheese toast

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is slightly soft. Add crumbled sausage and zucchini and cook until sausage is browned. Add pepper flakes, basil and oregano and stir well to combine. Add marinara sauce and water. Heat to a boiling, and then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Break egg into a small cup. With a large spoon, make a well in the tomato sauce and slide the egg into the sauce. Repeat with rest of the eggs. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until eggs reach desired consistency. Be careful to remove pan from heat when eggs still have some “jiggle” in them, because they will continue to cook. Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve with toast on the side. Serves 2.

Hint - for a lower carb serving, elminate the bread from your serving.

Comments

[Nanan]

Don't eggs just make everything better?

[June]

So true Lea. It's kind of all making my stomach growl at the moment. Ha.

[Mags]

Eggs morning, noon and night... that's what I say.

I'd love to have that Soprano's cookbook. I was late to the party when it originally aired but rented all the DVDs when Dave lived in Alabama three years ago and fell in love with the show.

[June]

Mags, we didn't follow the series either but plan on watching the DVD's soon. The cookbook is a fun read and full of good things!