Every time I can get my hands on fresh eggs from a small farmer I get very excited as it reminds me of my childhood trip to the our neighbor farmer Bruna that let me pick the eggs and pet the chicks.
I loved the variety in size, thickness and color- which depends mainly on the breed of the chicken.
Want to know if your eggs are fresh? Fill a clear bowl with water and drop in the egg: a very fresh egg will sink to the bottom and lay on its side, old eggs will float.
In most simple Tuscan dishes it’s always about quality over quantities of ingredients, that’s why many recipes are so short!
Uova al pomodoro, in Tuscany also called Ovino ai pomodoro in tegamino is a classic comfort food, not necessarily just for breakfast as we tend to eat eggs more for a casual lunch or dinner. Every culture has their version (think Shakshuka) but when eggs are so fresh there is not a lot of spices and ingredients to add to achieve a great flavour!
I am not a fan of the fried egg white consistency so in my Uovo al Pomodoro the whites are scrambled and well incorporated with the tomato sauce while the yolks are soft are ready for an epic bread dipping.
Ingredients for 4 eggs:
eggs
olive oil
1 1/2 cups of tomato passata (in glass bottles)
2 garlic cloves
fresh sage leaves
salt and black pepper
fresh parsley for granish (optional)
Heat olive oil on medium-low heat with garlic and sage for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, a little salt and half a cup of water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or so, you want to the pomarola to be saucy and not too dry.
Crack the eggs in, scrambling the whites so the incorporate well with the tomato sauce. Add a little salt and black pepper on the yolks and chopped parsley at the end.
Serve with rustic bread (I like it not toasted as it dips better).