Shirred Eggs with Pesto

Shirred Eggs with Pesto

Serves 4

This quick and easy breakfast is an elegant way to serve eggs with each person getting their own ramekin. Adding cream gives the eggs a custardy texture and the pesto brightens the dish with its wonderful herby flavor. 

Make sure that you pull the eggs out of the refrigerator in advance to bring them to room temperature. This will allow the eggs to cook more evenly and quickly. If you forgot to pull them out, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water to bring the temperature up slightly. I recommend serving the eggs with buttered toast so you can dip it into the eggs.

Ingredients 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons basil pesto 
4 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish

Variations

If you’re feeding a hungry group, add two eggs per ramekin instead of one.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place four 6-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet and evenly divide the butter into each cup. Place the ramekins in the oven to pre-warm and melt the butter, about 1 minute. Crack an egg into each cup and add 1 teaspoon of pesto and 1 tablespoon of cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon of cream over each egg and top with two halves of a cherry tomato. Sprinkle all of the ramekins with finely chopped parsley. 

Bake the eggs until desired doneness, about 10 minutes for a soft egg and 15 minutes for a firm egg.

Serve the ramekins on a plate and garnish with more parsley.