Quick Shakshuka Pasta (Printable Version)

Spicy tomato sauce with tender pasta and egg crowned with herbs and feta.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz penne or rigatoni
02 - Salt, for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
10 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
12 - 1/2 tsp sugar
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Eggs & Finishing

14 - 4 large eggs
15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
16 - Crumbled feta cheese, optional

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red bell pepper; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili flakes; cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
05 - Create four wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well. Cover skillet, cooking for 4–6 minutes until egg whites are set and yolks remain runny.
06 - Gently toss cooked pasta into the sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired creaminess.
07 - Sprinkle chopped herbs and crumbled feta over the dish. Serve immediately, ensuring each portion includes an egg.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in thirty minutes flat, making it perfect for those nights when hunger strikes faster than your planning.
  • The runny egg yolk acts like a secret sauce, turning everyday pasta into something that feels restaurant-quality.
  • Spices do the heavy lifting here—cumin and smoked paprika create depth without fussing over multiple components.
  • It's genuinely vegetarian comfort food that doesn't leave meat-eaters feeling like they're missing something.
02 -
  • Temperature control on the eggs is everything—too high and those yolks overcook while you're still chewing your first bite, so keep heat moderate and patience high.
  • The sauce must be at a gentle simmer before the eggs go in; boiling sauce cooks eggs too aggressively and might splash around.
  • That reserved pasta water is not optional niceness—it's the difference between creamy coating and dry, clumpy pasta that needs rescue.
  • Don't skip the initial softening of onion and pepper; it takes five minutes but builds a foundation that tastes like you actually planned this meal.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs cook more evenly than cold ones, so take them out of the fridge while you're cooking everything else.
  • Don't be tempted to turn up the heat to speed things along—low and slow gives you runny yolks, not scrambled eggs pretending to be something fancier.
  • The reserved pasta water is genuinely essential; it has starch that creates creaminess in a way regular water never will.
Go Back