Italian Baked Eggs
A twist on the traditional “Eggs in Purgatory” recipe, Italian Baked Eggs are a cinch to make for breakfast, lunch, or brunch. Ready-made pasta sauce and marinated artichokes are topped with eggs and cheese, then baked to perfection. It’s as good as it gets for a lazy weekend dish!
Italian Baked Eggs
Eggs are king in my house. We frequently have them for breakfast, sometimes for lunch, and even occasionally for dinner. They’re incredibly versatile, so I’m always looking for new ways to use them in quick, healthy meals like these Italian Baked Eggs.
In my opinion, these baked eggs are similar to Eggs in Purgatory or Huevos Rancheros. So if you love either of those recipes, this one will be a home run for you. They’ll take a little longer to make than your basic scrambled eggs, but they’re worth the 15-minute wait!
To make them, you’ll start with a simple ingredient list. Whip up a simple tomato sauce base using leftover pasta sauce and marinated artichokes. Then the flavorful sauce is topped off with an egg and sprinkled with mozzarella and parmesan. Finally, it all gets baked in the oven, and boom–breakfast is served.
Now this ridiculously easy dish wouldn’t be the same without dipping big, toasty pieces of bread in it. Smear a crusty slice of sourdough with some warm Roasted Garlic before dipping it into the soft egg yolks for a true slice of heaven.
If you’re feeling ambitious, why not try cooking up an easy pasta sauce at home? I’d recommend a quick batch of Homemade Spaghetti Sauce or my ultra-flavorful Marinara Sauce recipe for maximum flavor.
How To Make Italian Baked Eggs
- Make the tomato sauce base. Mix the artichokes, tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano together in a bowl.
- Assemble the baking/serving dishes. Divide the mixture between four greased 8-ounce ramekins. Top each ramekin with one egg.
- Top each dish with cheese and seasoning. Divide the cheeses evenly between each dish, sprinkling them over the eggs. Season each one with a little salt and pepper.
- Bake. Bake for around 15 minutes in a 400°F oven, or until the yolks are just set. Serve immediately, ideally with crusty bread.
Flavor Variations
- Make this dish even creamier by adding small clumps of ricotta on top before baking.
- For a meatier sauce, try making this with my Italian Meat Sauce recipe.
- Feel free to switch out the mozzarella with another of your favorite shredded cheeses like creamy havarti or gruyère.
- Spice this dish up a little if you like. Add a pinch of red chili flakes or Sriracha to the sauce mixture during the first step.
Tips & Tricks
- To use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, use about 4 cloves of minced garlic.
- Crack the eggs one by one in a separate container before adding them. This helps you to avoid getting shells or the rare weird-looking egg in your dish.
- Don’t have ramekins or small baking dishes? No worries. Bake everything together by layering it the same way in a large, greased cast-iron pan.
Serving Suggestions
To garnish your Italian Baked Eggs, sprinkle them with chopped basil or minced Italian flat-leaf parsley. Do this right once you’ve taken them out of the oven.
Since this baked egg dish is best with a hunk of crusty bread on the side, you might consider making your own from scratch. For homemade sourdough bread, it doesn’t get any easier than my No-Knead Sourdough Bread recipe.
If you’re making Italian Baked Eggs for a super-easy family dinner, I can’t blame you! Serve them with a batch of these classic Parker House Rolls, and everyone will be in comfort-food heaven.
Recipe FAQs
Don’t have tomato sauce on hand?
Feel free to make this with an equal amount of canned crushed tomatoes instead (though you may want to increase the spices a bit).
Do I have to leave the yolks runny in this dish?
In my house, we love the runny yolks because they’re delicious for mopping up with your favorite bread. However, if you’re not a fan of runny yolks, you can bake the eggs 2-4 minutes longer until they’re set to your desired consistency.
Be prepared for brunch with more easy egg recipes!
Get the Recipe: Italian Baked Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Cooking spray
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Equipment
- 4 Ramekins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together the artichokes, sauce, garlic powder and oregano.
- Divide the mixture between four 8 ounce ramekins coated with cooking spray and top each with one egg.
- Divide the cheese among the four and sprinkle over the eggs. Season with one pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the yolks are just set. Serve immediately….with crusty bread.
8 Comments on “Italian Baked Eggs”
Same here! My husband had to go out again yesterday because we were out! This looks amazing! I’ve always want to try eggs in purgatory! Love your version!
I can not believe how many eggs we go through as well and there are only 4 of us, lol! This dish looks delicious! I have to say have never had a red sauce with my eggs, I am intrigued!
I made baked eggs before and they turned amazing. I love that you paired this version with artichokes…yum!
I eat so many eggs, it’s crazy. I am loving this version, my favorite way to make eggs!
My husband is all about eggs! We actually have like 3 dozen in the fridge right now because we go through them so fast! Love these eggs and will be making them soon for the hubs!
Ditto that, we eat so many eggs it should be illegal ;). These baked eggs look fantastic. I have my toast points ready!
We buy eggs 5 dozen at a time at our local club store…so I’m right there with you… These baked eggs sound amazing!
We go through a ton of eggs, too and really loved baked eggs both for their taste as well as their ease. I love the addition of artichoke hearts in this recipe.