No, I didn’t eat this for breakfast! Although this recipe is probably good at any time of the day, I don’t like to eat savoury food at breakfasts. But if you do enjoy savoury breakfasts, try it as they do in the Middle East.

Shakshuka is nothing more than vegetables with egg and cheese.

The original recipe, in addition to fresh eggs and tomato, also calls for peppers, onion, spices, and goat cheese. There is no cheese here, just some crunchy seeds. But you can even use cheddar or feta, so let your imagination run wild, as long as the cheese is stringy and not too watery.

In my version, I added Agretti, which starts to appear in the markets in spring. If you haven’t found Agretti or friar’s beard, use spinach; it will do just fine.

This is a dish to share and to make when you don’t feel like cooking. The doses are for one hungry person.

Ingredients

• 3 very fresh eggs
• 1 bunch/ 250 g Agretti or other vegetables (monk’s beard)
• 3 Piccadilly tomatoes
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• salt and pepper/chilli pepper to taste
• toasted flax seed and sunflower seeds to taste
• 1 clove of garlic

Preparation methodology

Clean the Agretti (monk’s beard) by removing the pink end, washing them well more than once to remove any earthy residue.

Wash the tomatoes too. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and the water they contain. Then cut them into small cubes.

Put the unpeeled garlic and a layer of oil on the Ghisanativa. Add the drained Agretti. Cook for 5 minutes over a low heat without a lid, until the Agretti are tender and some of the water they release has dried up.

Add the tomatoes, turn the heat to medium and stir occasionally.

Add salt and pepper to taste and remove the garlic.

Make three holes with a spoon, break the eggs and pour them in. Put a pinch of salt and pepper on top. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about 6-8 minutes. Check that the eggs remain with a soft yolk. The yolk should remain shiny, not become opaque.

Calculate that Ghisanativa will still be working with its heat once on the table.

Scatter the seeds all over the surface and serve with a wooden spoon and a silicone spatula on plates. Serve with a salad and a slice of bread to dip in the yolk.

Roberta de Salvador

“Bellunese doc, omnivorous and publicist journalist with a passion for food and wine. She graduated in Communication Sciences and then did a 10 kg master’s degree at Gambero Rosso, kilos she lost with a healthy diet and lots of walking in the mountains. The recipes she shares with us revisit traditional Italian cuisine and are repeatable even for those who are not PRO cooks.”

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