I miscalculated and didn't end up getting quite enough zucchini for this recipe. Luckily we had a bottle gourd squash in the fridge, so we were able to chop that up and use it in combination with the zucchini to make the stew.

I was slightly dubious about adding eggs and cheese to this chunky vegetable and sausage stew, but it was delicious! The cheese really made it. Especially when served with some tostadas on the side. Although I think a nice, crusty bread would also work nicely.

I also went a little heavy on the sausage. The recipe only called for 225-340g, but I didn't want to be left trying to figure out what to do with the remaining sausages, so I just used the whole 450g package. And I would definitely do it that way again in the future. Very tasty!

I used hot Italian Beyond Meat sausages for the "meat" component of this dish. Thus, keeping it vegetarian and adding a little extra heat. (Not much, to be fair, but it was something.) I'd definitely recommend using spicy sausages if you can. If not, it might be worth adding an extra chile or two to make up the difference.

The author notes that you can use green or yellow zucchini for this stew or even a mixture of both. And I can now confirm that bottle gourd squash works well too. It might even be interesting to go the ratatouille route with it and use a mix of zucchini and eggplant.¹
That said, it's excellent as is. I don't think it needs a different mix of veggies. But it is nice to have the option to mix and match depending on what's available.

Baked Eggs in Ciambotta

Slightly adapted from The Good Egg by Marie Simmons

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 450g hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced
• 1-2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (~800mL) can diced tomatoes
• 900g zucchini², quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1cm pieces
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
• 2-4 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
• 4-8 large eggs
• 1-2 c. grated fontina, mozzarella, or mild gouda
• crusty bread and/or tostadas, to serve

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-low heat.
2. Add the sausage, break up into smaller pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink (~5 minutes).
3. Add the onion and cook until it softens (~5 minutes).
4. Add the pepper(s) and garlic and cook for another minute or two.
5. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.³
6. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add the zucchini, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender (~15 minutes).
8. Add the basil and parsley (if using).
9. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
10. If the stew seems too thin, bring to a boil, and cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
12. Make 4 divots in the mixture and crack an egg into each one.
13. Sprinkle with cheese.
14. Bake at 200°C (400°F) until the cheese is melted and the eggs are set (~15 minutes).
15. Scoop each egg into a bowl along with a bunch of the surrounding stew.
16. Serve with bread and/or tostadas.
17. Any leftover stew can be saved and reheated. Add more eggs and cheese as needed.

---

¹ As I started typing that eggplant suggestion, I got a bit curious and decided to look up some more info on ciambotta. Based on the quick search I did, it looks like ciambotta is closely related to ratatouille with some sites referring to it as "Italian ratatouille". There are lots of regional variations, but it looks like eggplant is a common inclusion. (As is potato in some places.) ^Back
2 Or a mix of zucchini, bottle gourd squash, potatoes, and/or eggplant. ^Back
3 I haven't tested this recipe with potatoes, but I think it would be best to add them at this point if you're going to use them. The acidity of the tomaotes will slow down the cooking, so I think they'd benefit from the extra 20 minutes of simmering. ^Back