Recipe Background
This Caprese Egg Bake is an ode to celebratory mornings with friends and features a luscious balsamic drizzle.
It was the morning after an unforgettable night—a whirlwind of friends, laughter, and the kind of loose planning that left us all crashing at my place. We were celebrating my friend's big break into the music industry, and as the sun peeked through the curtains, my mind drifted to the thought of breakfast. I'd always kept a stash of cherry tomatoes and bocconcini in the fridge, remnants of my love for all things Caprese. That day, I wanted to create something special, something that said 'congratulations' with every bite.
In the kitchen, I could hear the sound of raindrops tapping against the window, and it matched the rhythm of my whisk. As I heated olive oil in a skillet, the aroma of garlic and onion filled the air—a scent that always felt like home. I tossed in cannellini beans and crushed tomatoes, letting them meld and simmer with herbs and a touch of sugar, creating a base that was both hearty and comforting. The eggs nestled in, each with its own nook carved out by the back of my trusty wooden spoon.
While the dish baked, I decided to elevate the flavors with a balsamic drizzle. In a small saucepan, I simmered balsamic vinegar with a pinch of brown sugar—a trick I’d learned from a culinary show binge night. The syrupy glaze was the final touch, poured over the bake as we gathered around with slices of crusty bread. As we dipped and devoured, I realized that what we had put together was more than just a dish—it was a memory, woven with the threads of joyfully chaotic beginnings and the promise of what’s to come.
Ingredients
For the egg bake:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomato
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon mixed dried Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar plus more, to taste
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup basil leaves roughly torn and packed, divided
- 4 eggs
- 7 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) bocconcini mozzarella sliced, or buffalo mozzarella, torn, divided
- crusty bread to taste, toasted and sliced, for serving
For the balsamic syrup:
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- salt to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
- Add the garlic and the onion to the heated olive oil and sauté until they are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cannellini beans, the crushed tomatoes, the chicken broth, the mixed Italian herbs, the sugar, the salt, and the black pepper to the onion mixture and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook the bean mixture, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
- Taste the bean mixture and adjust the seasoning with the salt, the black pepper, and the sugar as needed.
- Stir 1/2 of the basil leaves into the bean mixture and stir to combine.
- Use the back of a wooden spoon to make four openings in the bean mixture and add one egg into each opening.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and 3/4 of the bocconcini to the top of the bean mixture.
- Bake the casserole until the egg whites are just set and the egg yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes.
- While the casserole is baking, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar, the brown sugar, and the salt, bring to a simmer, and cook until it thickens and is syrupy, 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the remaining basil and the remaining bocconcini cheese over the top of the egg bake.
- Serve the casserole with the balsamic syrup and the crusty bread.
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