I enjoyed this breakfast over the weekend but also felt slightly annoyed I hadn’t thought of this before, as it was so good. Perfect quick, simple breakfast but hearty enough to obliterate the worst of hangovers, great to feed a crowd, nurse a cold or flu and made from pantry staples too! – just add parsley…..

Feel free to add sausage/bacon/ham for a bit more ooomph or vegetables for more of a ratatouille-esque dish (maybe more of a lunch) it is always going to be right on the money, as long as you have some good crusty bread and fresh, happy eggs (the better quality the egg, the better it is to poach) – it’s bound to reign supreme.

I love a big pot – and for 4 or more people, just make the sauce in the biggest pot or casserole you can find – make small wells and crack in the eggs with the lid on..

Nothing beats a fresh tomato sauce but also good tinned tomatoes (I like Annalisa tinned cherry tomatoes) are almost just as good anyway. I was inspired by an Italian cooking class I attended recently, watching the chef cook up a beautiful tomato sauce in this way was a basic but extremely pleasing and helpful technique. The only alterations I have made to my usual tomato sauce are adding a spoonful of sweet pepper sauce (Carmelina is a good brand) and grating my onion, rather than chopping it – sooo much better! Make the same sauce for dipping bread into, or for pasta, or anything you like for that matter!

I like to add 2 star anise to my tomato sauce or sometimes fry some fennel seeds with the onion – for extra flavour, but it doesn’t really need that with this dish.

Ingredients Serves 2

• 2 400g tins of chopped or cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ large brown onion, grated
• 1 Red chilli, chopped fine (optional)
• 1 tbsp sweet pepper sauce
• 1 large handful of parsley, chopped fine
• 2 fresh eggs
• Cheese, such as feta or Parmesan to sprinkle on top

Method

Empty tomatoes into a food processor and blend until very smooth or use a hand blender to do this.

Heat oil in a large pan and add onion and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the garlic becomes translucent and garlic starts to become golden.

Add chopped chilli pepper (if using) and fry for an extra minute before adding your tomato, sweet pepper sauce and ¾ of your chopped parsley. Season well.

Bring sauce to boil and simmer partially covered (it will bubble and get messy if not) for a good 30 minutes, or until you have your desired viscosity.

Either poach your eggs or add them to your sauce (if you are starving) or make small wells in your sauce and crack in the eggs. Cover completely with your pans lid and let the eggs cook for at least 5 minutes in the simmering sauce – just ensure the whites have set and the yolk is still wobbly.

Toast some bread and scatter over the rest of your parsley along with more seasoning (if required) and chilli flakes, if you fancy!