Shakshuka Baked Pasta (Printable)

Pasta baked in a spiced tomato sauce topped with gently cooked eggs and fresh herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 tsp ground cumin
09 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
10 - ½ tsp ground coriander
11 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
12 - 1 tsp sugar
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Dairy & Eggs

14 - 1 cup grated mozzarella or crumbled feta cheese (optional)
15 - 4 large eggs

→ Fresh Herbs

16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
04 - Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Add cooked pasta and half of the cheese (if using) to the sauce. Mix well to coat evenly.
07 - Transfer mixture evenly to the skillet or baking dish. Create 4 small wells and crack an egg into each well.
08 - Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top, if using.
09 - Bake uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks remain runny.
10 - Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro, and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when you've really only been at it for fifty minutes.
  • One pan means one dramatic moment when you pull it from the oven with those runny yolks gleaming in the spiced tomato sauce.
  • The sauce is forgiving enough for weeknight cooking but impressive enough for guests.
  • You get to customize it based on what's in your fridge—feta, mozzarella, spinach, or none of it at all.
02 -
  • If your eggs are cooking too fast before the whites set, cover the skillet loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes, then remove it to finish.
  • The pasta will continue absorbing sauce as it sits, so if you're not serving immediately, the dish might seem a bit drier the next day—add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
  • Don't skip the step of cooking the spices briefly in the oil; it's the difference between a flat-tasting sauce and one that actually sings.
03 -
  • Use an oven-safe skillet so you can go straight from stovetop to oven without dirtying another dish, and the pasta stays hot the whole time.
  • If you're worried about eggs cracking from thermal shock, pull them out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before cooking and let them sit on the counter.
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