Turn Humble Eggs Into a Neapolitan Showstopper With This One-Pan Twist

Some mornings call for something brighter than a fried egg. Enter Neapolitan-style eggs: tender eggs nestled into a garlicky tomato-basil sauce that smells like a quick Italian getaway. It cooks fast, tastes big, and turns a plain breakfast into a small event. Adults love it, kids usually do too.

What you need

• Eggs - 4
• Fresh tomatoes - 3 (about 300 g)
• Yellow onion - 1 (about 80 g)
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Fresh basil - 3-4 sprigs
• Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper - a pinch
• Sugar - a pinch (optional, to balance acidity)
• Water or vegetable broth - 50 ml

How to make it

Prep the veg: Score the tomatoes, pour boiling water over them, slip off the skins, and dice. Finely chop the onion; mince the garlic. Rinse and dry the basil. Strip the leaves from the stems, set a few whole leaves aside for serving, and finely chop the rest.

Build the sauce: Warm the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Soften the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar if you like. Pour in the water or vegetable broth, stir, and let it simmer 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens and the flavors concentrate.

Add the eggs: Make four small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each, keeping the yolks intact. Cover and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes. You are aiming for set whites and yolks that stay slightly runny.

Finish and serve: Scatter the chopped basil over the top and tuck in those whole leaves. Serve hot with crusty bread or toast for dipping into that tomato-herb goodness.

Bonus: It gives the vibe of shakshuka’s Italian cousin, but with basil leading the way. If your tomatoes lean tart, that tiny pinch of sugar smooths everything out nicely.