Baked Eggs over Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

There’s no law saying eggs are strictly for breakfast. This recipe, lightly adapted from the Cooking + Kate blog, is a delicious example of a protein-forward meal that hits the spot at any hour.

If you can crack an egg, you can make this dish and have it on the table in under 30 minutes. No measuring tools are needed, so long as you’ve got enough tomatoes to cover the bottom of your pan. Serves 2-4. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• 3 cups (about 1 ½ pints) halved cherry tomatoes

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves (with extra for garnish)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 or 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the halved tomatoes in an even layer in a medium-sized baking dish or large oven-proof skillet.

3. Bake the tomatoes for 12 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the Parmesan and basil, drizzle with the olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

4. Stir the garlic into the mixture. Gently crack an egg over the tomatoes, keeping the yolk intact. Repeat with the remaining eggs, dispersing them somewhat evenly over the dish.

5. Return the dish to the oven and check at 8 minutes. The egg whites should be set while the centers still jiggle when you give the pan a shake, assuring that the yolks are still runny. Return it to the oven for a minute or two if the whites aren’t quite cooked through but bear in mind that they’ll continue to cook out of the oven.

6. Season for a little more salt, pepper, and basil and serve immediately in shallow bowls with toast for sopping.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.