Cheap, easy and totally satisfying. Fried eggs on top of pasta is the best way to make an inexpensive dinner seem chic.
This post has been updated
I have a secret love affair with fried eggs. I just think they are sexy. Culinary speaking of course. There is just nothing better than cutting in to an over easy egg and watching it ooze all over the plate. Just begging for a piece of crusty toast to mop up all of that creamy yellow goodness.
Is it getting hot in here?
It’s how I start most every morning.Fried eggs, I mean. Usually with toast.
I have been wanting to try the classic Italian dish of pasta carbonara recently, but found myself without a few key ingredients, like bacon. How I was out of bacon I don’t know, but I was. But I figured egg on pasta could still be done. And it can. Enter the fried egg over pasta.
And it’s delicious.
It is also very simple, easy and very fast. A great go-to dinner.
The trick to getting tons of flavor out of this dish is the garlic in the oil. You want to make sure that the garlic almost poaches in the olive oil, but not burn. A little browning is okay, but don’t let those puppies burn otherwise it will taste like…well…ass. If it burns, start over. And don’t be afraid of the chili flakes. Be brave with them.
This is a perfect we-just-got-back-from-a-late-night-and-we-are-starving kind of meal. Print the recipe and keep it on your fridge for reference. You will thank me at 2AM.
Fried Egg over Pasta
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and cooking liquid reserved
1 cup frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
4 T olive oil
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
4 eggs
5 T butter
salt and pepper
In a skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in breadcrumbs and cook until toasted and crisp.
Remove from pan. Wipe skillet clean and add remaining oil and crushed garlic. Cook garlic over medium heat until lightly golden.
Remove cloves and turn off heat. Add pasta to the skillet directly from cooking liquid. Stir in peas, red pepper, breadcrumbs and cheese. Add a ladle full of pasta cooking liquid to make a smooth thick sauce. Season well with salt and pepper.
Portion out the pasta on to plates.
In another small skillet, fry the eggs over easy, one at a time.
Top each portion of pasta with an egg, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb . spaghetti cooked and cooking liquid reserved
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic crushed and peeled
- 4 T olive oil
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
- pinch of red pepper flakes optional
- 4 eggs
- 5 T butter
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Stir in breadcrumbs and cook until toasted and crisp.
- Remove from pan. Wipe skillet clean and add remaining oil and crushed garlic. Cook garlic over medium heat until lightly golden.
- Remove cloves and turn off heat. Add pasta to the skillet directly from cooking liquid. Stir in peas, red pepper, breadcrumbs and cheese. Add a ladle full of pasta cooking liquid to make a smooth thick sauce. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Portion out the pasta on to plates.
- In another small skillet, fry the eggs over easy, one at a time.
- Top each portion of pasta with an egg, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
- Serve and enjoy!
Looks good. But it would be better with bacon…..: – ))
everything is better with bacon. 🙂
I made this recipe for dinner and I loved it! I didn’t have pasta and used brown rice. I followed until using water from pasta. I left the rice dry and added the cheese and peas. It was crunchy from the panko i sub the breadcrumbs with. It was tasty and so yummy. It came all together perfectly for my Meatless Monday dinner. Thank you! Its a keeper!