Pesto eggs are a delicious breakfast trend worth trying! In this recipe sunny-side-up eggs are gently fried in basil pesto and stacked with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes make the perfect breakfast toast! Ditch the bread for a lower-carb option. More tasty variations below!
I am usually pretty late to anything trendy foods, but some delicious trends like TikTok pesto eggs are so worth a try!
People often ask me for Mediterranean diet breakfast ideas. If you're looking for something to make ahead and keep on hand, breakfast egg muffins are your ticket. But for some of us who are not big planners, there is always the breakfast toast you can just whip up in less than 10 minutes.
Today is about another breakfast toast, this time putting my simple spin on the pesto eggs made popular on TikTok by Amy Wilichowski.
Pesto egg sandwich
This simple toast begins with sunny-side-up eggs, gently fried in basil pesto instead of butter or oil. This immediately amps up the flavor!
The eggs will take a couple minutes to cook in the pesto, and you can certainly eat them just the way they are! But for my little twist, I toasted some whole wheat bread and added slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella before sliding the pesto cooked eggs on top. It's the perfect caprese eggs situation in less than 10 minutes!
What you'll need to make this breakfast toast
Check your fridge, you probably have everything you need to make this recipe. And you can modify as you like. But here is what I used to make these breakfast toasts:
- Basil pesto. If you have the time, try this homemade basil pesto, but otherwise, use your favorite store-bought basil pesto. And if you're after big flavor, don't be shy with the pesto (I used ½ cup for my two eggs).
- Eggs. 2 eggs
- Fresh mozzarella cheese. Sliced into rounds.
- Tomato. One vine ripe tomato will do here, sliced into rounds.
- Toasted Bread. I used two small pieces of whole wheat bread. You can ditch the bread, if you like (see below variations)
How to make pesto eggs
- Heat up some basil pesto in a medium nonstick pan or skillet. You'll need low heat for this, and look for the pesto to just begin bubbling.
- Add the eggs and cover. Once your pesto is warmed through, crack your eggs and add them to the skillet. Cook, covered, over low heat until the egg whites set (do not crank up the heat on your eggs here, give them time to cook, they will only take 2 minutes for sunny-side-up eggs.
- Assemble your breakfast toasts. Drizzle a bit of the pan pesto over a couple pieces of toasted bread. Add mozzarella, tomatoes, and finally the eggs and remaining pesto on top.
Pesto scrambled eggs option
If you're more of a scrambled eggs person, you can totally do that here. Once you add the eggs to the shimmering pesto, keep the heat on low and toss the eggs around until they cook through to your liking. Personally, I like my scrambled eggs on the softer side, so I scramble them until loosely set and let them finish cooking off heat.
Other variations
- For a lower carb option. Ditch the bread and just serve the pesto eggs on top of mozzarella and tomato slices.
- Change up the cheese. If you don't have mozzarella, you can use crumbles of feta or goat cheese or a swipe of creamy labneh. It won't be caprese eggs, but still very delicious
- Cook the eggs to your liking. If you like your yolks a bit harder, just give them more time, or try the scrambled pesto eggs option.
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Easy Pesto Eggs with Tomato and Mozzarella
Ingredients
- ⅓ to ½ cup basil pesto, use homemade basil pesto or store-bought
- 2 eggs
- 2 to 3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1 vine ripe tomato, sliced
- red pepper flakes, or Aleppo pepper
To serve
- 2 pieces of toasted bread, optional
Instructions
- In a medium nonstick pan, heat the pesto over low heat until slightly bubbling (shimmering).
- Crack the eggs and add them to the pesto. Cover and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes or until the egg whites set but they yolks remain runny. (If you like your egg yolks harder, give them a little more time). Season the eggs with a small pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper).
- Spoon a bit of the pesto from the pan over your toast. Arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on the toast, then slide the eggs and remaining pesto on top.
Notes
- Scrambled eggs option: Once you add the eggs to the shimmering pesto, keep the heat on low and toss the eggs around until they cook through to your liking. If you like them on the softer side like I do, scramble them until loosely set and let them finish cooking off heat.
- Lower carb option: skip the bread and serve the eggs stacked on top of mozzarella and tomato slices. See other variations detailed in the post.
- Visit Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including spices and olive oils.
Love, Love your channel.
I did this, but I added some bits of roasted pepper and sweet potato in mexican spices that I had left over from meal prep. Changed motzarella to a bit of grated cheddar and a drizzle of siracha for the top. Amazing flavours
Yum! Thanks for sharing your adaptations here, Kate! Love it!
I've been making pesto eggs for over a decade now ...before it was a "thing". LOL I would typically just fold in the pesto in my fried eggs and toast on the side...but topping my toast with yummy pesto, cheese, sunny side up egg, topped with tomato takes it over the top!!! No bacon required! Thank you, Suzy for thinking outside of the box...as always! Love ya! 😘
My taste buds were singing! Not sure I've ever had more delicious eggs. Thank you Suzy for another winner!
This recipe is lovely. A nice change up for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Appreciate all your hard work for all of us foodies learning proper cooking techniques and tips!
God Bless you and your lovely family.
C~
You are very sweet, Currer! Thank you!
I'm new to the Mediterranean lifestyle, I just came off loosing 180 pounds on keto and now I'm ready to keep it off. This pesto was great! That recipe is living in my head rent free forever! 😀
Awesome! Thanks, Larry!
I can't wait to try this one. I read the recipe the other day and last time I shopped I did get pesto need the cheese, have tomatoes. Ever try cooking your eggs in stewed tomatoes...I have to search around your site i bet you have. My mom used to make it for a Sunday brunch with bacon and toast. I'm making myself hungry now! Thanks take care, Mikki
Hi, Mikki! Not exactly cooking eggs in stewed tomatoes, but I do have a great recipe for Shakshuka which sounds similar to what your mom used to make :).
It was just delicious! I tried it with both the Early Harvest & Private Reserve oils. Both were very tasty but I really enjoyed the boldness of the Private Reserve with this dish. There was no bitter aftertaste, I LOVED IT! If you made it without the Private Reserve try the recipe with it, it really wakes up your tastebuds! Thanks Suzy for another great recipe!
Thanks for the feedback, Theresa! Very helpful!
Great flavors but the room temp tomato didn't let the mozzarella melt.
Put your hot egg, fresh out of the pan, on top of the cheese.
Wowza, this was so delicious! I tried it with sunny side up and scrambled eggs. So simple, yet so good! Tiktok trend or not, this was a great breakfast option! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks, Dini!
Hi,
You have some great recipe’s, and this is just a general comment. In Australia, we haven’t used imperial measurements since 1966. Since I was born in 1967, I wouldn’t know an ounce (although I know it’s something like 30 gems), a pound, a gallon or Fahrenheit from a whole in the ground. Would it be possible to include metric measurements in your recipe’s please? It’s a bit of a drag, having to convert, not to mention time consuming.
Kind Regards,
Stuart.
Hi, Stuart! Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated. We are working on using a different program that allows for these measurement conversions, but it may take some time to have all our recipes transferred over to the new program.
Such simple ingredients, but when put together become a meal so tasty and so filling! Yeah, there'll be far less bread in my breakfasts in the future.
Thanks, Izzy!
I went ahead and made this for lunch today... OMG! YUMMY! I'm old...didn't realize it was a trend... lol! I used store-bought jarred pesto, but I bet it's amazing with homemade pesto. Can't wait to try that next!