the hungry tiger: Spaghetti with poached eggs, roasted red peppers, and sundry other things.

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May 10, 2002

Spaghetti with poached eggs, roasted red peppers, and sundry other things.

Tonight's dinner, preceded by a big pot of espresso to help me get my work done afterward. This recipe may sound complicated, but all the steps work together very neatly. It is decadent and delicious and very satisfying. It had its origins in a recipe that appeared in the New York Times, I think, but this is the version that I've generated through repeated vaguely-remembered remakings. I must have made it a dozen times since the beginning of the year, and we haven't tired of it yet.

1/2 lb. spaghetti
1 whole roasted red pepper, cut into 1/2" strips (out of a jar is fine)
1 t. capers
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped (optional)
1 T. olive oil
2 large eggs
1 T. white vinegar
salt
pepper

Prepare a nice big bowl that will eventually hold all the pasta with plenty of room for tossing. I have a flat, broad bowl especially designed for pasta that works very well, but a sufficiently large mixing bowl would work, too. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Put first the red peppers, then the capers and garlic, then the parsley, and finally the breadcrumbs in a small baking dish or ramekin. Salt and pepper, and set aside. Put a big pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta, and a smaller pot on to simmer for the eggs.

Add the vinegar to the poaching water. Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, and hold them in a bowl of warm water. When the water comes to a boil, drizzle the olive oil over the breadcrumb mixture and put it into the oven. Cook the spaghetti to al dente.

When the pasta is done, you'll have to move pretty quickly, so just before it is ready, pull the baking dish from the oven and have it ready. Bring the poached eggs over to your work area and have a slotted spoon or small strainer ready to lift them from the bowl. Have two forks ready for tossing everything together.

Drain the pasta and dump it into the serving bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture (a spatula will help you do it quickly and cleanly) and eggs (sans holding water). Toss everything together with the forks, breaking the eggs up as you go. The heat of the pasta will cook the yolks, turning them into a kind of sauce.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and, if you're feeling balanced, a nice salad.

Note: Serves two hungry people or three less-hungry people. With bread, it will serve three hungry people. If you're trying to serve four people, double the pasta and red pepper, add one more egg, and leave the other ingredients as is.

Posted by redfox at May 10, 2002 09:12 PM (recipes)