Recipe: Summer Squash Skillet With Baked Eggs

Summer squash is coming in like gangbusters right now, and we've been playing with all sorts of ways to use it. Last night we came up with a one pot/skillet meal to do just that. It's sort of similar to Tunisian shakshouka, but with an Italian twist.

Plus it's paleo-friendly, minus that sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. But come on, you've gotta live a little.

Here's how it's done.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 yellow summer squash or zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 egg
1/4 cup peeled crushed tomatoes or pasta sauce
2 tablespoons chifonnade basil
Parmesan cheese to garnish
kosher salt and pepper to taste
small oven-safe skillet or cast iron pan (no plastic handles or elements)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350. While oven is warming, add olive oil to the skillet on your stovetop and heat on medium. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until aromatic, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Add squash, season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft but not fully cooked through. Add fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 3/4 of the fresh basil. Cook for an additional minute.

Create a well about 2 inches wide in the middle of the mixture. Crack egg into the center, then place the skillet into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the egg whites have set. (You can cook a few minutes longer if you don't like a runny yolk.)

Remove from oven using a pot holder, then garnish with remaining basil and Parmesan cheese. You can eat the dish right out of the skillet, or plate separately. This dish serves one, but you could easily scale up.