Pasta & Eggs for Breakfast with Garlic & Olive Oil

Recipe by Syndy Sweeney of T. Rex & the Rabbit Foods

Not every Italian-inspired breakfast has to be sweet. When espresso, cappuccino and a cornetto aren't quite enough, Syndy Sweeney turns to what she jokingly calls her “Second Breakfast”: a bowl of garlicky, spicy pasta topped with runny eggs.

This isn't carbonara. Syndy's Pasta & Eggs starts with garlic and red pepper flakes gently cooked in extra-virgin olive oil. The seasoned oil coats the pasta before over-easy eggs are added and broken into the dish, allowing the yolks and olive oil to come together into a rich, silky sauce.

Because the recipe is built around just a handful of ingredients, Syndy emphasizes using a good extra-virgin olive oil. Her choice is Farchioni Il Casolare Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Olio&Olive, whose slightly bitter olive character complements the garlic, chile and egg.

Pasta & Eggs for Breakfast

Course: Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For One

• ⅔ cup short-cut dry pasta, such as penne, pennette or ditalini
• Salt, for the pasta water
• 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped or sliced
• Pinch to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 eggs
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Coarse or flaked sea salt, for garnish (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
• Slice of crusty Italian bread or baguette (optional)

Family Style

• 1 pound short-cut dry pasta, such as penne, pennette or ditalini
• Salt, for the pasta water
• ¼–⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 6–8 cloves garlic, depending on taste, peeled and roughly chopped or sliced
• ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 8 eggs
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Coarse or flaked sea salt, for garnish (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
• Crusty Italian bread or baguette (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil. Remove the lid, salt the water generously and add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions until al dente.

2. Prepare the garlic and chile oil
Halfway through the pasta cooking time, add the olive oil—2 tablespoons for the individual serving or ¼ cup for Family Style—along with the garlic and red pepper flakes to a nonstick skillet. Cook over low heat for 3–5 minutes, until the garlic is soft and lightly golden but not brown.

3. Dress the pasta
When the pasta is ready, drain it well and return it to the pot. Pour the garlic and red pepper oil over the pasta and gently toss until thoroughly coated.

Important: Don't add pasta water. Syndy intentionally drains the pasta well because she finds that starchy water dilutes the egg yolk and reduces the flavor and richness of the finished sauce.

4. Cook the eggs
Return the skillet to the burner and increase the heat to medium-low. There should be enough residual oil to cook the eggs; if not, add a small splash more. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the whites have set.

Carefully flip the eggs and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. The yolks should remain runny. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

5. Combine the eggs and pasta
Slide the eggs onto the pasta. Using a spoon or spatula, break the yolks, roughly chop the whites and stir everything into the pasta. The yolks and olive oil will combine to coat the pasta. Taste and adjust with additional salt, black pepper or red pepper flakes as needed.

6. Finish and serve
Serve immediately. If desired, garnish with coarse sea salt, fresh parsley and another drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

And when the pasta is gone, don't let that silky sauce go to waste: fai la scarpetta—“make the little shoe”—and use a piece of crusty bread to sop up what's left on the plate.

Helpful Hints

Keep the eggs separate from the garlic oil. It may be tempting to cook the eggs directly with the garlic and red pepper flakes, but Syndy recommends against it. The garlic and chile can stick to the eggs, while the extra time in the hot oil can overcook the yolks and make the whites rubbery.

Watch the garlic carefully. If it begins to brown, turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the burner. Return it to low heat about 15 seconds before you're ready to pour the oil over the pasta. If the garlic becomes dark brown and hard, it will taste bitter and should be discarded.

Adjust the garlic to your preference. Syndy prefers larger pieces of garlic. If you use minced or grated garlic instead, reduce the cooking time to 1–2 minutes and watch it closely to prevent burning.

Jarred minced garlic works, too. Check the jar for its recommended conversion; Syndy notes that, depending on taste, approximately ½–1 teaspoon minced garlic generally replaces one fresh clove.

Shop the Ingredients

Farchioni Il Casolare Organic Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Syndy's choice for this recipe. Because olive oil forms the base of the sauce, its flavor comes through clearly alongside the garlic, red pepper and egg yolk. Syndy especially likes Il Casolare's unfiltered character and the gentle bitterness of the olives.

About Syndy

Syndy Sweeney is a personal chef, cooking instructor and creator of T. Rex & the Rabbit Foods. Her cooking brings together Italian traditions, Italian-American influences and a lifelong curiosity about food, culture and the stories that connect them.

Meet Syndy →