Poached eggs in tomato sauce and spicy roast peppers with Grana Padano Riserva
This dish is called “uova in purgatorio” in Italian, which literally means “eggs in purgatory”! Honestly no one is really sure on why this dish has this strange name. If you ask me, when I make this recipe, it feels more like I’m in heaven rather than in a place of penance but who am I to argue with traditions! This extremely easy and delicious dish is said to be Neapolitan but variation of it can be found all over Italy, as it is the true representation of what ‘Cucina Povera’ is, the art of making the best out of humble ingredients.
My simple fresh tomato sauce is enriched with a piece of Grana Padano rind during the cooking, a traditional way of using the rind that really gives a kick of umami flavour to the ‘Sugo’, the so important base of the recipe. Roast peppers, herbs and crusty bread are the perfect accompaniment to take this humble looking dish into your breakfast (or any meal) favourite list. Trust me on this, you have to try it!
Chef’s tip
I use chunky tomato sauce, but you can swap it for a smooth passata if you prefer a velvety texture. You can also swap peppers for any other veg you like and add pancetta if wanted. I always top my eggs at the end with a lot of grated Grana Padano, then turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to rest a minute for the cheese to melt. Lastly, this same egg-cooking process can be applied to any sauce you might have left over, such as Bolognese or Grana Padano cheese sauce.