Classic Shakshuka

From the garden

• 2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)
• crusty bread (optional) — warmed, for mopping the pan
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet (one with a lid) over medium heat. Cook the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and starting to color at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, and pepper flakes and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant and brick-red.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juices and simmer 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a brief trail. Season well with salt and pepper — the sauce carries the whole dish.
4. Make six wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook 6–8 minutes over medium-low, until the whites are set but the yolks still jiggle.
5. Scatter with feta and parsley and bring the skillet straight to the table with warm bread for mopping.