This is a traditional dish from the Friuli region in the north of Italy and is an easy meal that you can quickly prepare for lunch or a light dinner. I have used organic free-range eggs and some oven  roasted tomato sauce made from the sweet summer tomatoes harvested this summer.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce or ‘al funghetto’

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, boiled and cooled then halved lengthways
• 1 small white onion, chopped finely
• 1 tblsp of extra virgin olive oil
• a small knob of butter
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 cups of home made tomato sauce or some ripe or canned chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley, stalks removed,1 tablespoon for garnish.
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Perfect hard boiled eggs: (for an electric stove)

1. Place eggs in a steamer basket over 1 cm of water in the saucepan below.
2. Set on full heat and when the water boils reduce the lowest setting for 4-5 minutes
3. Then turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the electric burner until it cools off.

Making up the Eggs in Tomato Sauce ‘al funghetto’

1. Heat olive oil and a small knob of butter in a medium saucepan on a medium low heat.
2. Sweat the onions and minced garlic with the lid on for 8 mins until translucent and well cooked.
3. Add the tomato sauce, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper.
4. Stir through the finely chopped parsley and cook for 10 mins to thicken and reduce it a little.
5. Carefully lower the halved eggs into the hot sauce , cut side up and spoon the sauce over them.
6. Cook on a low-medium heat for a further 4 minutes.
7. Serve immediately with grilled polenta or some crusty sourdough bread

Variation:

You may want to add some chilli or chilli oil to spice up the flavour. Just add to taste.