Baked Shakshuka with Feta and Crusty Bread

Name: Baked Shakshuka with Feta and Crusty Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1½ cups); 2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) red bell peppers, cored and cut into ½-inch dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced; 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; 2 teaspoons (5 g) sweet paprika; ½ teaspoon (1 g) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional); 28 ounce can (794 g) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices; 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 8 large (400 g) large eggs, at room temperature (out of the fridge 15 minutes); 4 ounces (115 g) feta cheese, crumbled into large chunks; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped; freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 small loaf (about 12 oz) (340 g) crusty bread, sliced and warmed

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Eggs nestle into a cumin- and paprika-spiced sauce of tomatoes and sweet red peppers, get topped with salty feta, and finish in the oven until the whites are set and the yolks are still jammy. Scoop it up with crusty bread.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 3 min
Total: 53 min
Makes: 4 servings (1 skillet, 8 eggs)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the sauce
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1½ cups)
2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) red bell peppers, cored and cut into ½-inch dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (5 g) sweet paprika
½ teaspoon (1 g) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
28 ounce can (794 g) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
For the eggs and topping
8 large (400 g) large eggs, at room temperature (out of the fridge 15 minutes)
4 ounces (115 g) feta cheese, crumbled into large chunks
For serving
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small loaf (about 12 oz) (340 g) crusty bread, sliced and warmed

Equipment (5)

12-inch (30 cm) oven-safe deep skillet with lid or foil
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife and cutting board
Small bowl or ramekin for cracking eggs
Oven mitts

Steps

Before you start

Use an oven-safe 12-inch (30 cm) skillet with a lid or a sheet of foil; cast iron or stainless steel works well. Avoid non-stick with a plastic handle.
Position an oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) when the sauce begins to simmer.
Take the eggs out of the fridge 15 minutes ahead so they cook evenly and don't cool the sauce too much.
Have the bread ready to warm and the herbs chopped before the eggs go in, because the final stage moves quickly.

1
Sauté onion and peppers
- Set a 12-inch (30 cm) oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- When it shimmers, add the diced onion, bell peppers, and the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, and the peppers are tender with lightly browned edges.
Tip: Salting at the start draws out moisture so the vegetables soften rather than scorch.
2
Bloom garlic and spices
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, and chili flakes if using.
- Stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes so the paste coats the vegetables and spreads out.
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Ready when: The mixture smells fragrant and the tomato paste darkens to a brick red.
Tip: If anything sticks or darkens too fast, lower the heat; burnt spices turn bitter.
3
Simmer the sauceOven 400°F / 205°C
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices and add the sugar.
- Scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that closes slowly, and the sauce is about as thick as a loose pasta sauce.
Tip: Too-thin sauce makes the eggs sink and the whites spread, so keep simmering until it's properly thick.
4
Season the sauce
- Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp.
- Use the back of a spoon to make 8 wells, spaced evenly: 6 around the edge and 2 in the middle.
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Ready when: The sauce tastes balanced and rich, and each well holds its shape.
Tip: Season now; the eggs and feta will be harder to adjust later, and feta is already salty.
5
Add the eggs
- Crack one egg at a time into a small bowl, then slide it gently into a well.
- Repeat with all 8 eggs.
- Spoon a little sauce around the whites to help them anchor, leaving the yolks exposed.
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Ready when: All 8 eggs sit in the sauce with yolks intact.
Tip: Cracking into a bowl first lets you fish out shell and avoids breaking yolks in the pan.
6
Top with feta
- Scatter the feta chunks over the sauce, in between the yolks rather than on them.
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Tip: Large chunks soften and brown nicely; fine crumbles can dry out.
7
Bake the eggsOven 400°F / 205°C
- Transfer the skillet to the middle rack of the 400°F (200°C) oven.
- Bake uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes.
- Check at 8 minutes: the whites should be opaque and set, with yolks still wobbly and glossy.
- For firmer yolks, bake 2 to 3 minutes more.
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Ready when: Whites are fully opaque with no clear jelly, edges of the sauce bubble, and the yolks jiggle slightly when the pan is nudged.
Tip: Eggs keep cooking from the hot pan, so pull the skillet when yolks look slightly underdone.
8
Warm the breadOven 400°F / 205°C
- While the eggs bake, wrap the sliced bread in foil and place it on the lower rack for the last 5 minutes, or toast the slices in a toaster.
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Ready when: Crust is crisp and the inside is warm.
9
Rest and garnish
- Using oven mitts, remove the skillet and rest it on a trivet for 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the parsley and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Serve straight from the pan with the warm bread.
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Ready when: Sauce stops bubbling and the yolks look set at the edges but soft in the center.
Tip: Leave a towel or mitt over the hot handle as a reminder that it stays very hot.

Good to know

Tips

Make sure the sauce is thick before adding eggs; watery sauce makes the eggs cook unevenly.
Use a deep skillet so the sauce doesn't bubble over in the oven.
For a spicier version, add a spoonful of harissa with the tomato paste.
Serve straight from the pan so the eggs stay warm and the yolks don't overcook.

Make ahead

"Make the sauce (through step 4) up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat in the skillet over medium heat until simmering, then continue with the eggs."

Storage & reheating

"Best eaten right away. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days (yolks will be fully cooked). Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat or in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 10 minutes. Sauce alone (without eggs) freezes for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Do not freeze with eggs."

Substitutions

whole peeled tomatoes → 1 lb 12 oz (800 g) fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped. Cook 5 to 10 minutes longer to break them down and thicken the sauce.
feta cheese → crumbled goat cheese or halloumi cubes. Goat cheese is creamier and milder; halloumi browns and stays firm.
sweet paprika → smoked paprika. Gives a smoky flavor; use the same amount.
crusty bread → warm pita or gluten-free bread. Warm pita is traditional and good for scooping.