Whether you’re looking for a delicious and savory recipe to add to your brunch repertoire or you’re craving breakfast for dinner, shakshuka is a great one to know. Although not something I grew up with, shakshuka has been intriguing to me since the first time I heard of it when a friend raved about it after coming home from Isreal. Shakshuka is originally a North African dish, but you can find this in other countries across the Middle East as well. I love the simplicity of this dish and it is a great one to share with a group of friends or family. The Roma tomatoes at the market have been perfectly ripe and ready for sauce, so I figured they’d be excellent for a quick and fresh shakshuka sauce. With a side of crusty bread or warm pita, this dish is filling and so satisfying.

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers, either red/yellow/orange (chopped)

1 cup yellow onion, about 1 medium onion (chopped)

1 quart of Roma tomatoes, about 1.5 lbs (rough chopped)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp of cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

4-5 eggs

sea salt & pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Feta (to garnish)

Cilantro, parsley, and/or mint (to garnish)

Hearty bread or pita (for serving)

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a cast iron pan (or oven safe pan) begin by heating your olive oil over medium heat. Add your onions and peppers and sautee for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant. Season with a dash of salt.
3. Next, add your garlic, cumin, paprika, and tomato paste, and sautee for another 1-2 minutes before adding your chopped roma tomatoes.
4. Let the tomatoes come to a simmer on medium high, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until tomatoes have cooked down a bit more.
5. Using the back of a spoon, create wells in the sauce before cracking your eggs in gently. Season with salt and peppers and (using an oven mitt) gently place your cast iron pan in the oven.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until egg whites have solidified and the yolks are cooked to just before your desired point. Carry-over cooking will continute to cook your egg yolks after you’ve taken it out of the oven. Garnish with herbs and serve with bread or pita.