Italian Baked Eggs in Marcella's Tomato Sauce (2024)

Cheesy baked eggs, minty fresh basil, a splash of cream, and a burst of flavor from sweet zesty tomato sauce. With only a handful of familiar and simple ingredients, this mini cocotte recipe featuring Italian style baked eggs looks fancy but it’s super easy to make.

So if you’re looking for something a bit different from the usual scrambled eggs on your next weekend breakfast or brunch menu, be sure to give them a try!

Baked Egg Goodness

What can I say, if you’ve never experienced the soft creamy goodness of baked eggs then what are you waiting for??

This Italian-inspired dish of individually baked eggs in mini cocotte dishes starts with a base layer of rich tomato sauce with the eggs nestled in the sauce and then topped with a splash of cream, fresh basil, and shredded parmesan cheese.

They are baked in the oven until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still a bit runny. Serve this easy eggs en cocotte recipe with a side of crusty Italian bread for dipping, it’s so good!

Looking for another easy yet sophisticated brunch recipe idea? Check out our fabulous and flavorful Asparagus Ricotta Tart with Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

What is an egg cooked in the oven called?

Baked eggs, also known as shirred eggs and oeufs en cocotte (eggs in a pot), are eggs that have been baked in a flat-bottomed dish often with the addition of cream. Mini cocotte dishes are like tiny Dutch ovens. For this recipe I used 8 oz. (.25 quart) size Staub mini cocotte dishes but individual ramekins or small dishes of similar size would also work. If you have the smaller 4 oz. size, you can just halve the recipe.

These baked eggs en cocotte are a great brunch or easy breakfast egg bake recipe but really, they could do the job for any meal. Just add a mixed green salad or vegetableand you can have a quick and easy dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

What you’ll need to make Italian baked eggs

• Tomato sauce: In my humble opinion, the most important flavor ingredient in this recipe is the tomato sauce. I always have a batch of homemade tomato sauce in my freezer which makes putting together recipes like this at the last minute a breeze. My go-to tomato sauce recipe is Marcella Hazan’s famous version, from her book Essentials of Italian Cooking, which is simple to make but so rich and flavorful (it’s made with butter, go figure, and vibrant San Marzano tomatoes). It really is worth the effort to make a homemade marinara sauce with San Marzano tomatoes which are known for their sweet ripeness and gentle acidity. The instructions are included further below but here are the ingredients you will need to make Marcella’s sauce:
  • 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano whole tomatoes
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small white onion, peeled and cut in half
  • Sea salt (or kosher salt) to taste
• Fresh eggs: the fresher the better!
• Heavy cream: A splash of creamy adds an extra silkiness to the eggs. If you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute with half-n-half or whole milk.
• Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is the best for melting, but the pre-grated stuff will work fine. Mozzarella or any other hard Italian cheese (Fontina, Asiago, etc.) are good substitutes if you don’t have parmesan.
• Fresh basil: I like adding fresh basil leaves to this dish plus adding some as garnish after baking. In a pinch you could use dried basil instead.

How to make Italian baked eggs

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil the individual dishes with nonstick spray.
2. Layer the ingredients into each cocotte dish: First spoon in 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Carefully crack two eggs, keeping the yolks whole, into each dish. Add about a tablespoon of fresh basil and then a splash of heavy cream (about a teaspoon). Lastly, sprinkle two tablespoons of parmesan cheese over the top of the eggs.

See Also

Cottage Cheese Egg Bake (Frittata)Baked Eggs in Marinara SauceTomato and Egg Noodle Soup (西红柿鸡蛋面)Shakshuka With Feta Recipe

1. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and put it in the preheated oven. Set your timer for 12 minutes in and start checking the eggs to achieve desired doneness and avoid overcooking.
2. Once desired doneness achieved, remove from the oven and be careful to use oven mitts when plating.
3. Serve immediately with toasted bread for dipping. If you like focaccia, try pairing these Italian baked eggs with our fall focaccia with bell pepper “maple leaves” for an elegant presentation.

How long does it take to bake eggs in the oven?

It depends on a few different factors: how well you like your eggs done, the temperature of your oven, and the thickness of the baking dish.

• Bake the eggs for about 12-15 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Per Julia Child, “the eggs are done when they are just set but still tremble slightly.” They will set a bit more once removed from the oven. Runny yolks are all the better for dipping with some nice crusty bread, yum!
• For those who prefer fully cooked egg yolks, bake for about 15-18 minutes.
• Pay close attention at about 12 minutes in and check the eggs to achieve desired doneness and avoid overcooking.
• Once desired doneness achieved, remove from the oven and be careful to use oven mitts when plating. Serve immediately with toasted baguette for dipping into all that goodness.

Storing and reheating

This dish is best eaten immediately after baking. However, if you want you may store the Italian baked eggs in the fridge for a day or two covered with a lid or plastic wrap or another airtight container. Scoop out the egg mixture into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 – 3 minutes. Reheating in the microwave will result in a more well-done egg and you won’t be able to achieve the same soft egg texture as when it was originally baked.

Instructions for Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

• 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano whole tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small white onion, peeled and cut in half
• Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan (onion halves face down) and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn down heat to low and stir occasionally using a spoon to crush and break up the tomatoes against the sides of the pan.

Simmer for about 45 minutes, sauce should be slightly thickened. Remove the onion and discard (or save for another use) and then serve. For really silky textured sauce use an immersion blender. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

More delicious Maplevine Kitchen recipes to try!

• Asparagus Ricotta Tart with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Panzanella Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
• Chicken and Potatoes in Cider Cream Sauce
• Creamy Vegetable Pasta
• Pineapple Mango Salsa Chicken
• Coconut Rice