Shakshuka Baked Pasta (Printable Version)

Pasta baked in a spiced tomato sauce topped with perfectly poached eggs and fresh herbs.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 ounces 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 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - ½ teaspoon ground coriander
11 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
12 - 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

# How-To Steps:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The entire dish comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners that taste like you've been cooking for hours.
  • Those runny egg yolks turn everything into its own sauce, eliminating the need for extra condiments and making cleanup actually manageable.
  • It's vegetarian, naturally gluten-free if you swap the pasta, and endlessly adaptable depending on what's in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • The eggs need a gentle hand—crack them into a small bowl first if you're nervous, then slide them into the wells one at a time so you don't scramble them by accident.
  • Watch the baking time carefully because the difference between runny yolks and hard yolks is about three minutes, so set a timer and don't wander too far.
  • If your skillet isn't oven-safe, transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish before adding the eggs, otherwise you'll be in for a frustrating moment when you grab a hot handle.
03 -
  • Use an oven-safe skillet whenever possible because it lets you go straight from stovetop to oven without dirtying extra dishes, and the pasta finishes cooking in the residual heat perfectly.
  • Cook your pasta slightly under al dente because it'll continue softening during the 15 to 18 minutes in the oven, ending up with exactly the right texture.
  • If you're nervous about the eggs, you can cover the skillet with foil for the first 10 minutes, then remove it so the tops can brown slightly and the yolks stay set where you want them.
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