Shakshuka Baked Pasta Dish (Printable)

A comforting blend of spiced tomato sauce, baked pasta, and tender poached eggs with Mediterranean flavors.

# Ingredient list:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 tsp ground cumin
09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - ½ tsp ground coriander
11 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
12 - 1 tsp sugar
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Dairy & Eggs

14 - 1 cup grated mozzarella or crumbled feta (optional)
15 - 4 large eggs

→ Fresh Herbs

16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

# Cooking steps:

01 - Set the oven temperature to 400°F.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, and optional cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Incorporate tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Mix cooked pasta and half of the cheese (if using) into the sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Spread the mixture evenly in the skillet or baking dish. Create four small wells and crack one egg into each.
08 - Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, if desired.
09 - Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes until egg whites are set and yolks remain runny.
10 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro, and serve immediately.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • One dish means one cleanup, and that alone might be reason enough to make this.
  • The runny yolks break into the sauce like a secret sauce you didn't know you needed.
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when it barely takes an hour from start to table.
02 -
  • The eggs will keep cooking after you pull the pan from the oven from the residual heat, so err on the side of underbaked—you can always stick it back in for a minute, but you can't un-cook an egg yolk.
  • Don't skip the al dente pasta step; overcooked pasta turns to mush when it bakes, and that changes everything about the dish.
  • The sauce needs to be hot and bubbling when the eggs go in, so don't let it cool down between making it and assembling the dish.
03 -
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking the eggs at the 12-minute mark; if it runs cool, you might need the full 18 minutes—know your oven.
  • Let the baked dish rest for 2–3 minutes out of the oven before serving, and the residual heat will finish cooking the egg whites perfectly without overdoing the yolks.
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