Uova in Purgatorio (Eggs in Purgatory) - SugarLoveSpices (2024)

Uova in Purgatorio: a classic way tosavorthe tomato harvest with this traditional, timeless, Italian dish. Poached eggsin a rich, sweet, fresh Roma tomatosauce, flavoredwith extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, basil, salt and pepper.

[This postis sponsored by the Italian Center Shop. We've been compensated but all opinions are our own.]

I hope you enjoy when we share with you some of ourfavorite, traditional, Italian recipes. The recipe for Uova in Purgatorio, Eggs in Purgatory, is timeless and you can find it mostly in Naples and surrounding area, but it is alsopopular in the center-southern Italian regions. Like the majority of old, peasant, Italian dishes, its simplicity goes hand in hand with arich taste and a high nutritional value, even thoughit uses few "poor" ingredients.

To find an explanation on the name of the dish: Uova in Purgatorio, Eggs in Purgatory, we have to go toNaples, and stroll along the alleys of the old town, where you can findmany shrines dedicated to various Saints, and in almost all of them there is a corner dedicated to the souls in Purgatory. They are depicted by white figures wrapped in flames. The white of the eggs in the red sauce would want torepresentthe souls escaping from the flames. There you have it 🙂 .

A simple, quick, dish to make, that uses just few ingredients. But of course, when you usefew ingredients, pay attention to thefreshness and quality: eggs, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, have to be of the best quality. We used free run organic eggs, fresh Roma tomatoes, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, basil, garlic, onion from my in-law's garden, salt, pepper (and a pinch of chili flakes, always a welcomed addition in Italian dishes). Some recipes call for just onion, some for just garlic, some for both, and that was our choice, a little bit of both: onion for some sweetness, garlic for some punch.Youcan use canned tomatoes, when tomato season is over, but we love when we can use seasonal ingredients, when their flavor is at a peak.

Uova in Purgatorio, Eggs in Purgatory, are a tasty idea,suitable for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

It depends on your preferences (or where you live. In Italy they are considered a lunch or dinner option, but definitely not a breakfast possibility).

We had them for dinner, in one of our "easy and quick vs. rich and tasty" weeknight meal. It wasa lazy night, when all wewanted was something that combinedthe least effort withthe maximum comfort. It goes something like this: wash and dice the tomatoes, grab a frying pan or a cast iron pan, pour 2-3 tablespoons of that golden jewel that is e.v.o. oil (we like to splurge on that 😉 ), sautée the garlic and chopped onion with the pinch of chili flakes (peperoncino), add the diced tomatoes and the basil leaves. Cook for few minutes, until reduced a bit to a tomato sauce, then season with salt and pepper to your taste.With a wooden spoon, make wells in the sauce to house the eggs.Crack the eggs into the wells and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.Cover and cook the eggs until done to your liking. I like mine more on the well done side, while Loreto likes his more on the runnier side. Guess who won 🙂 . The best part is when you finally taste it: scoop the eggs with some tomato sauce onto a plate and serve with a crusty rustic bread, toasted or not. The eggs might be in Purgatory, but sure you'll be in Heaven 🙂 .

Enjoy!

Song of the day: "Stairway to Heaven ", Led Zeppelin.

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P.S. While you're reading this post, we'll be on a plane, or just landed, or already onour well deserved Italian Holiday. Don't worry, we cooked and baked full throttle before leaving so we wouldn't leaveyouwithout new recipes. Plus, there will be updates on our vacation on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

[This postis sponsored by the Italian Center Shop. We've been compensated but all opinions are our own.]