Shakshuka and Shells

Description §

Shakshuka, a dish of eggs poached in tomato sauce that’s found across North Africa and the Middle East, is one of my favorite things to make for my family for weekend brunches and lunches. Sharing a meal is always nice, but there’s something especially communal about having everyone help themselves right from the pan you cooked the food in. Typically I serve it with grilled crusty bread, but then I thought, why not make it into a pasta dish?

Ingredients §

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
• 1 white or yellow onion, finely diced
• 2½ teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for the eggs
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups (30 ounces) cherry tomatoes
• 3 teaspoons za atar
• 8 ounces (about 3 cups) lumache pasta (or cestini or medium shells; see note)
• 4 to 6 large eggs
• 4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled (1 cup; see feta tip on page 85)
• ½ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• Lemon wedges, for serving
• Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving

Method §

1. Heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
2. Add the cumin seeds, if using, and cook until darkened a shade, 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and golden around the edges, 9 to 13 minutes, adjusting the heat if the onion starts to darken too quickly.
4. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of the salt to a boil in a pot.
5. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low, add the tomato paste and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste has darkened to a brick red, 1 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and the remaining 1½ teaspoons of salt. Stir to coat the tomatoes in the oil, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to burst, about 10 minutes.
7. Using the back of a spoon or potato masher, gently press the tomatoes to break them open and release their juices.
8. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the za’atar and cover.
9. Add the pasta to the boiling water (remember, it’s only half the package, unless you mean to use it all!) and cook for 3 minutes less than the low end of the package instructions.
10. Use a mesh spider to transfer the pasta directly to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high.
11. Stir in ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
12. Using the bottom of a ladle or spoon, do your best to make a well in the pasta-tomato mixture and immediately crack an egg into the sauce.
13. Repeat with the remaining eggs, spacing them evenly apart around the pan.
14. Season each egg with a pinch of salt and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of za’atar.
15. Scatter the feta over the pasta (not so much over the eggs), then cover the pan and cook until the egg whites just start to turn opaque, 1 to 2 minutes.
16. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered, until the egg whites are set, 4 to 8 minutes. (This will result in runny yolks; for firmer yolks, leave the pan on the heat for 2 to 4 minutes before removing it and letting it sit.)
17. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges and sriracha.

Note: This recipe is designed to create a saucy, spoonable shakshuka, using 8 ounces (a half pound) of pasta and 2 eggs per person. If you want more servings, you can easily use a full pound of pasta and as many eggs as you can fit on the surface in a single layer-that’s what I do when making this for my family. Just remember to also double the amount of water and salt that you use to boil the pasta. You can add more pasta water to increase the volume of the sauce as desired. If you use the full pound of pasta, it’ll be less saucy, more hearty, and still delicious in its own way!