Italians rarely eat eggs for breakfast–they’re more for the evening meal (just as pasta is more for the midday meal).  I happen to prefer eggs in the evening as well, so since I have some sauteed spinach left from my steak dinner the other evening, I’ve been looking forward to one of my favorite eggs preparations.  Fried eggs nestled in sauteed spinach and topped with grated cheese and some chili flakes (the way my mom used to serve eggs). 

Adding some slow-roasted tomatoes brings incredible depth to the dish.  By roasting those already-sweet grape tomatoes, you are concentrating and amplifying their flavor.  They’re great on a salad, or tossed with pasta (boy, are they good that way!)  or simply eaten with some bread.  They’re as simple as can be to make, but  you have to think about them in advance–1 to 1 1/2  hours in a 275 degree oven is what they require for maximum sweetness.  Slice the the tomatoes in half lengthwise, lay them cut side up, sprinkle them liberally with salt and a touch of sugar, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.   After they’re roasted, they can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks this way.

Once the tomatoes are done and the spinach is sauteed (see prior post “New Year’s Eve Dinner” for the spinach recipe), simply fry an egg in olive oil  til the yolks have reached your desired level of firmness, then place eggs on top of spinach and sprinkle with grated parmiggiano, chili flakes and black pepper.  Great for brunch as well.