Nduja Eggs in Purgatory (Eggs In Tomato Sauce)
Updated Aug 25, 2025, Published Nov 27, 2018
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Eggs in purgatory made with spicy Calabrian ‘Nduja salami. This recipe is super easy, made with a flavour-packed tomato sauce, perfectly cooked eggs with runny yolks that are made for dunking bread into. Ready in under 30 minutes.
Eggs in Purgatory is a Neapolitan dish, commonly eaten in the south of Italy called ‘Uova in Purgatorio’ or ‘Ova ‘mpriatorio’ in Neapolitan dialect. Eggs with a perfectly runny yolk are lightly poached in a delicious tomato sauce.
It’s a really simple dish using very few ingredients, but it has so much flavour and is super comforting.
Since we love spice in ours, we’re switching it up by adding a delicious spicy Calabrian salami, Nduja. The heat is perfect with the rich eggs and fresh tomato sauce.
We love to serve it with some fresh, crusty bread or char-grilled crostini for dunking in the runny eggs and mopping up the sauce.
In Italy, it’s often served for lunch or dinner, but it’s one of those meals that’s so versatile and is perfect for breakfast or brunch too.
See the full recipe below, including our top tips for getting the eggs perfect and some delicious variations to try!
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Tomatoes – we use crushed tomatoes, in particular Mutti Polpa, which is very finely crushed and very good quality, plum tomatoes would also work really well. you could use passata (tomato puree US), although that will give you a stronger and richer flavour.
- White or brown onion – we love the sweetness of using a white onion but a brown onion works just as well and we tend to use what we have at the time.
- Basil – fresh basil is a must; I don’t recommend using dried here.
- Nduja – if you can’t find Nduja, you could use one spicy Italian sausage, salami or just replace it with fresh or dried chilli. If you want to keep it simple, just omit it altogether.
Tips for perfectly cooked eggs
One thing I don’t enjoy when it comes to eggs in purgatory is an undercooked egg white, and to be honest, it’s a common issue with so many recipes.
By the time the egg white is properly cooked, the yolks are overdone, which is also a massive disappointment.
We tested this recipe countless times to make sure the eggs are perfectly cooked, with no jiggly white and perfectly cooked runny yolks.
Our top tips? Cook on a medium-low heat, cover with a lid and use a timer to make sure you time the eggs accurately (it’s so easy to forget about them and overcook).
How to make it (visual walk-through)
Step 1 – saute the onion until soft and translucent (5-6 minutes), then add the Nduja and cook until soft (photos 1 and 2).
Step 2 – add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and cook uncovered for 5 minutes then covered for another 5 minutes (photos 3 and 4).
Step 3 – make 4 wells in the sauce and add an egg into each well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes then remove from the heat, keeping the lid on and let it sit for another 1 minute (photos 5-7).
Step 4 – uncover and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on top of each egg yolk. Serve with crusty bread (photo 8).
Variations to try
- Add garlic – we will often add some fresh garlic with the onion if we feel like it, it’s delicious!
- Olives and capers – these are delicious additions and add a lot of umami flavour.
- Italian sausage – brown it with the onion; this is great if you’re looking to make the dish more substantial.
- Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano cheese – either of these cheeses, grated on top for serving, is so good.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Use fresh eggs – fresh, free-range eggs make all the difference. They’ll poach better in the sauce and, of course, taste better.
Nduja spice level – I’ve found that Nduja can vary in spice level depending on what brand I buy. We have used 1oz (30g) of Nduja, which gave us a good amount of heat without it being overpowering. Of course, everyone has their own tolerance, so you can add more or less to taste.
Easy way to add the eggs to the sauce – I find it easier to crack the eggs individually into a small ramekin and pour them gently, one at a time, into the wells in the sauce. Some people also find using a soup ladle useful.
They are both very similar dishes, but shakshuka is a Middle Eastern recipe usually made with the addition of bell peppers, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper.
The name of this recipe is thought to be inspired by Dante’s image of purgatory in The Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century. The fiery red sauce is said to represent the inferno (Hell), and the eggs represent the white souls climbing the mountain, shedding their sins before entering Heaven.
More Italian breakfast recipes to try
Italian breakfasts are usually always sweet (pastries, cakes, cookies etc), so I’ve included a couple of savoury options for you to try, plus a couple of traditional sweet ones.
If you’ve tried this Eggs in Purgatory recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest or sign up to our Newsletter to see more of our delicious food.
Step By Step Photos Above
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Nduja Eggs in Purgatory
Equipment
- 29cm (11.5 inch) pan (we used stainless steel)
- ramekin
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400g) chopped tomatoes , (we used Mutti Polpa)
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 oz (30g) Nduja , (about 2 tablespoons)
- 4 free-range eggs
- 1 large handful fresh basil, torn into pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Saute 1 finely chopped onion until soft and translucent (5-6 minutes), then add the Nduja and saute until soft.
- Add 14oz/400g chopped tomatoes, a large handful of fresh basil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes on a medium-high heat then cover it with a lid and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Make 4 wells in the sauce (they don’t have to be perfect). Crack the eggs one at a time into a ramekin then gently place in the well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium-low heat for 4 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it stand still covered for 1 minute.
- Remove the lid and sprinkle a pinch of salt over each egg yolk. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
- Making crostini or char-grilled bread – to make things easier you can toast your bread first so it’s ready to go. Fresh crusty bread is also delicious.
- Prep ahead – you can make the sauce in advance and reheat it before adding the eggs.
- Serving – this recipe is best served immediately.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my gosh, this looks so incredibly delicious — and pretty. I would have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Love it.
Thank you so much Valentina!
My Bil would love this. He cant cook eggs at his place as my sis has allergies so everytime we have him at home he always has a request to sneak in an egg in anything we make 🙂
I’ve never tried this dish, but it looks so tempting. I love eating my eggs with salsa piled on top, so I have to assume it would be pretty similar. Pinning for later!
Oh yes, you’d love it then, it’s so delicious!
This is a great special treat you can serve your family for breakfast! Yum!
Yum. This sounds amazing. Wish I had it right now. Never though about tomato sauce with eggs but I could definitely get into this. Will be trying soon 🙂
This looks amazing! I am one who loves all things runny eggs so I can’t wait to dig into this!
Thanks so much Mary, I love it too!
Ciao, i am Emily from Malta. I also like everything which is Italian. Lasy year I visited wonderful Tuscany. For breakfast our host used to serve us Tuscan chicken liver paste which I really liked. Maybe you can share this recipe with your followers. Im sure they’ll like it.
Tanks for your recipes
Hi Emily, two things we have in common already ha! I hope you had the best time in Tuscany it’s where I lived for 5 years. I have a recipe for traditional Tuscan crostini made with chicken liver pate and it’s so delicious. Here’s the link https://www.insidetherustickitchen.com/chicken-liver-pate-tuscan-crostini/. Thanks so much for stopping by!