Mom's ciambotta

4 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
2poundsRipe Roma plum tomatoes; each one slashed
With tip of knife
(or 1 (28 oz) can plum tomatoes with
Juice)
¼cupExtra-virgin olive oil
8ouncesItalian sausage - (to 12); casings removed,
Broken into pieces
1largeSweet onion; cut vertical slices
1Serrano chili; seeded and chopped
(or 1/4 to 1/2 tspn crushed red pepper)
2Garlic cloves; finely chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2poundsZucchini; (all green or a mixture of
Green and yellow); trimmed, quartered
Lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/2\" pieces
¼cupTorn fresh basil or Italian parsley leaves
4largesEggs
1cupShredded cheese -; (to 2 cups)
(fontina; mozzarella, gruyere, young
Pecorino Romano; or dry Jack cheese)

Directions

If using fresh tomatoes, bring saucepan half filled with water to a boil.

Add tomatoes; let stand 20 seconds. Remove with tongs to side dish. When cool enough to handle, peel tomatoes and trim cores. Cut tomatoes into ½-inch cubes, saving juices. You should have about 3 cups. Heat oil in large broad saucepan. Add sausage; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until sausage is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion; cook until onion is soft and begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add serrano chili (but not crushed red pepper) and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper (if using), dash of salt and grinding of black pepper.

Bring to a boil. Cover; cook over medium-low for 20 minutes. Add zucchini; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes.

Add basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. If mixture is watery, boil, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. (Can be made ahead up to this point and reheated.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spoon boiling hot zucchini mixture into 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish.

With large spoon, make 4 indentations in zucchini mixture. Break eggs, 1 at a time, into small cup; pour an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle top generously with cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and eggs are set to desired doneness. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 11-02-1998 By Marie Simmons Formatted for MasterCook by Susan Wolfe - vwmv81a@...

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