They say necessity is the mother of invention, and while this certainly isn’t an invention, per se, it is what I’ve currently been turning to for breakfast. Due to a glut of eggs from our chickens, ardent sourdough baking with the 14″ of snow we recently got, and a monstrous supply of pesto I tucked into the chest freezer last fall, I’ve been churning out pesto eggs with vim and vigor — mostly for myself and my husband, and occasionally our youngest child. Our oldest is in the throes of turning down food if it has too much pepper on it, so asking her to indulge in a plate of mysterious green eggs is a fool’s errand.
Of course, I’m partial to homemade pesto but any port in a storm, I say. Costco pesto is delightful, as is Wegman’s. Trader Joe’s has passable pesto, and from there I really can’t say for sure. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage every one of you to put some basil plants in the ground or containers this spring! Even if you have no desire to garden, a few basil plants will supply you will the tastiest, and most affordable, herb to use to your heart’s desire. And I adore them on top of sourdough like some sort of open-faced sandwich that I can chow down on without dirtying a fork and knife. If you’re more civilized than I am, by all means, serve them on the side and do whatever you will with your toast.
Why Pesto Eggs?
I love elevating simple ingredients (eggs!) to create something a little more special. And I love having pesto anything in the dead of New England winter to remind myself of summer and warmth and the garden. Pesto eggs scratch both of those itches.
It feels silly to even call this a recipe but at this point in my life when cooking and meal preparation so often is simply utilitarian instead of something lofty and romantic and inspired, I’m making an effort to share more about the real foods that come out of my kitchen. And since it’s been a long, long time since I’ve been inspired to share any food, this is a big step for me! Since our youngest started eating solids a year ago, most days I grudgingly get food on the table without much fanfare. Except when I hype my kids up to try new food and am met with, “This is too cheesy” (it’s not) or “This is the wrong kind of pasta” (how dare I get fun dinosaur-shaped pasta, I must be a monster!).
And if you happen to buy pesto for this recipe but hate having a random jar taking up space in your fridge, simply divvy it up into ice cube trays and freeze small cubes of it to use later. Transfer them to a Tupperware or Stasher Bag and tah-dah! No need to come up with another pesto recipe during the week and then you gave bite-sized pieces perfect to pop out for this breakfast.
Pesto Eggs on Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice small squeeze
- 1 tsp butter salted or unsalted, your call!
- 2 Tbsp pesto
Instructions
- Toast your sourdough. 'Nuff said!
- Add eggs and a small squeeze of lemon juice to a bowl and scramble for ~1 minute. This creates perfectly fluffy eggs due to some complex science that I don't quite understand but read about in On Food and Cooking. See notes below.
- Let eggs rest while you head a skillet over medium-high heat. If nonstick, test pan for readiness by dropped a flick of water into pan. If water droplets dance around, it's ready.
- Add your butter, swirl to melt, then add eggs. Scrape and fold eggs into center of the pan until no liquid egg remains. Right at the end, swirl your pesto into eggs and mix to incorporate. Transfer pesto eggs to the top of your sourdough, top with salt, pepper, and grated parmesan.
Notes
- If you don’t like light and fluffy eggs but prefer creamier scrambled eggs, disregard the medium-high heat and cook instead on medium-low. They cook for a bit longer than 2 minutes.
- I asked ChatGPT to explain exactly what happens with the lemon juice + egg marriage and it told me: “Eggs are rich in proteins, like albumin in the egg whites. The acid in lemon juice causes these proteins to undergo a process called denaturation. It essentially unfolds the protein molecules. The acid in lemon juice also enhances the eggs’ water-binding capacity. Denatured proteins are better at holding onto water molecules, preventing the eggs from becoming overly dry. The combination of denatured proteins, trapped air, and improved water binding results in a fluffy texture. The stable protein network provides structure, while the incorporated air contributes to the lightness of the scrambled eggs.”
- It goes without saying but obviously, you can use any kind of toast for your pesto eggs! I’m just a sucker for sourdough, especially the homemade variety.
- If you are using small, frozen ice cube tray-sized pieces, I like to microwave one of them for 20 seconds to defrost before adding to the pan with the eggs.
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