by Rebecca Nov 20th, 2010 // Breakfast, Recipes, Veggie Friendly

Tuscan Breakfast Polenta

This is my husband’s new favorite breakfast and it happened quite by accident. Well… that’s not exactly true. Unless you consider not grocery shopping until your cupboards are nearly bare an “accident.” In our picked over pantry, nestled behind the flour and sugar, was an untouched bag of soft polenta. We started cooking the polenta with the intentions of making scrumptious porridge, but half way through it became obvious we didn’t have anything good to throw in.

So, we improvised. I grabbed a can of our favorite tomato sauce, a few eggs and some olive oil. We fried up the eggs and just before they were done we added sauce to the pan. We served them over warm buttered polenta with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. My kid was so engrossed in the fact that the eggs were “sunny side up” that he even tried the yolks! Now for the recipe…

Tuscan Breakfast Polenta Recipe

Prep Time: 5 mins  Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 cup polenta
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup good tomato sauce
2 tablespoons butter
fresh basil leaves

Gradually add polenta to boiling water stirring constantly until thickened. Stir frequently for 20 minutes then stir in butter. Turn down to low and stir in butter. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until it sizzles when water is thrown on it. Start with two eggs. Grease the pan with cooking spray and crack one egg at a time into the pan being sure to keep  yolks in tact. Once the egg whites are opaque on both eggs and the bottoms are crispy, pour in 2/3 cup of sauce and shift the sauce around the pan by picking it up by the handle and gently shaking. Cook until sauce is heated through. Spoon warm polenta onto the plate and slide eggs and sauce out on top of polenta. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste and garnish with basil leaves. Repeat. Serves 4.