Italian Baked Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Heat a large, wide, oven-safe pot (use one with a lid because you’ll need it later) over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and break it up a bit with a wooden spoon. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until sausage is cooked through and has developed a nice brown color.

3. Remove cooked sausage from the pot and set aside. Leave any rendered fat in the pot over medium heat.

4. Add onion and garlic to pot and sauté 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

5. Add balsamic vinegar to pot and stir to combine.

6. Add crushed tomatoes and cooked sausage to pot and stir to combine, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring mixture to a simmer, taste, and add seasoning as necessary. Don’t be afraid of salt—it helps cut the flavor of the tomato and brings all the flavors together!

7. Stir chopped basil into sauce and remove pot from the heat.

8. Use a spoon to make small wells on the surface of the sauce (make as many wells as you have eggs). Crack eggs one at a time into each well. I find it’s helpful to crack eggs into a small ramekin first, then gently tip the egg from the ramekin into the sauce.

9. Cover pot and place in a 375 F oven for 10-12 minutes to cook the eggs. I like my eggs a tad on the runny side, but if you want yours more well-done add another 4-5 minutes to the cook time!

10. While the eggs cook, toast your bread slices. I toasted mine quickly on a grill pan, but you could also toast it on a sheet pan in the oven or use a regular ol’ toaster.

11. Remove pot from the oven. Top eggs with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then follow with Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of basil for garnish. Serve with toasted bread.

Notes:
1. A wide pot is the best choice here—you want a large surface area so the eggs have room to cook.
2. You could easily cook the eggs on the stove-top instead of the oven. If you do, just reduce the heat to low and cover the pot for 8-10 minutes, then check eggs for doneness.
3. Let the sauce simmer as long as you like. The more time it cooks, the more developed the flavor will be. Just wait to bake eggs until right before you’re ready to eat. If they sit too long in the hot sauce they’ll overcook