Skillet Garlicky Basil Pesto Eggs
These pesto eggs are Tiktok inspired and have a garlic-laden pesto that infuses the eggs as they cook, making an incredible one-skillet meal in under 20 minutes.
I am not a trendy person by nature. I have no clue what is in style; plain white and grey shirts are my go-to. Mainly, they are comfortable and go with everything. I don’t become absorbed into endless hours on social media; I’m more of a nerdy researcher. And I’m happy being out-of-style on any given day. That is until I saw Diane Morrissey’s Instagram post for Pesto Eggs that are popular on Tiktok right now. Am I the only person who didn’t know about this? This genius idea made me question my allegiances to social media and whether I should follow TikTok a bit more closely. Thank goodness Diane Morrissey is in the know and is willing to share it.
How to Make Pesto Eggs
- First, make the pesto. Pulse the walnuts, parmesan cheese, basil leaves, and salt to a food processor bowl.
- Add the chopped garlic scapes and olive oil to the basil mixture. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and spread the pesto across the bottom of the skillet. Make 4-5 wells in the pesto with the back of a spoon. Crack the eggs into each well.
- Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid and cook until the whites are set, and the yolks are runny, about 8 minutes.
- Serve with crusty bread.
While I adopted the idea of frying eggs in pesto instead of the traditional butter or olive oil, this recipe takes it a step further by using a garlic scape pesto and Shakshuka cooking technique. If you are unfamiliar with Shakshuka, it is a skillet dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. Here, I swap out the spicy tomato sauce for a garlic-laden pesto full of parmesan cheese, walnuts, olive oil, and basil leaves. The basil oil and garlic flavors infuse the eggs as they cook, resulting in an incredible one-skillet meal in under 20 minutes.
Possible Substitutions
GARLIC SCAPE PESTO. Use any pesto you like instead of the garlic scape pesto, even store-bought.
GARLIC SCAPES. If garlic scapes are out of season or if you can’t find them, substitute regular garlic or green garlic for garlic scapes.
WALNUTS. For a nut-free pesto, try substituting sunflower seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pesto and Garlic Scapes
Garlic Scapes are thin, curly, green plants that are the flower bud of the garlic plant. The farmers remove them to encourage the plant to form larger cloves of garlic. Try finding them in late spring at the farmers’ market or local co-op.
As a general rule, 3 garlic cloves = 5 garlic scapes = 2 stalks of green garlic.
Yes! Pesto is the perfect vehicle for preserving garlic and basil. To freeze, pack the pesto into ice molds, place the molds in the freezer until the pesto is frozen solid, and then transfer the pesto cubes into a freezer-safe plastic bag or air-tight storage container. Store frozen for up to 3 months.
Store pesto in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Use as a sauce on homemade pizza, toss with plain pasta, top on grilled meat or fish, add to your grilled cheese, stuff into chicken breasts, spread on bread, or add to soup in the winter, just to name a few.
Before you start: Tips for making these Pesto Eggs
GARLIC SCAPE PESTO. While this garlic scape pesto is strong-flavored and overpowering raw, cooking the pesto makes the flavors mellow and taste just right. If you are using this pesto raw for another purpose, start with a smaller amount of garlic scapes and adjust to taste.
EGGS. Getting the egg whites and yolks perfectly cooked is a challenge in this recipe. If the yolks are perfect and the egg whites are still a bit jiggly, remove the skillet from the heat and let the eggs sit in the skillet. The residual heat from the skillet cooks the egg whites without overcooking the egg yolks.
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Homemade Garlicky Basil Pesto Eggs
These pesto eggs are Tiktok inspired and have a garlic-laden pesto that infuses the eggs as they cook, making an incredible one-skillet meal in under 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the pesto:
- 1/3 cup (75g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small handful (15g) fresh basil
- 1/2 cup (44g) toasted shelled walnuts*
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 9 garlic scapes, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup (43g) olive oil
For the eggs:
- 5–6 eggs, depending on your preference and the size of your skillet
To serve:
- whole-grain or sourdough bread, if desired
- red pepper flakes, if desired
Instructions
- Make the pesto. Add the walnuts, parmesan cheese, basil leaves, and salt to a food processor bowl. Pulse the mixture until finely chopped. Add the garlic scapes and olive oil to the food processor bowl and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, with no visible garlic scape pieces, and creamy. Add additional olive oil, if needed. Adjust salt to taste.
- Cook the pesto eggs. Heat a 10 to 12-inch cast-iron pan or non-stick skillet over low heat. Keep the temperature low to prevent the pesto from burning. Add the pesto to the skillet and spread it in an even layer across the bottom of the skillet. Using the back of a wooden spoon, make 5 or 6 small wells in the pesto for the eggs to go. If using a 10-inch skillet, 4 wells evenly spaced around the perimeter of the skillet and one well in the middle works perfectly. Crack the eggs directly into each well, making sure not to crack the yolk. Sprinkle eggs with additional salt and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook until the whites are set, and the yolks are runny, about 8 minutes.
- To serve, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve on toasted bread, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Tiktok’s Amy Wilichowski Pesto Eggs
WALNUTS. If substituting sunflower seeds, use 1/4 cup (44g).
COOKING FOR 1? Use a smaller skillet if you have one, although a larger skillet works fine too. Use your desired amount of eggs and 1/3 cup pesto. Reserve the rest of the pesto for another use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 of recipe
- Calories: 499 calories
- Sugar: 0.9g
- Sodium: 472mg
- Fat: 46g
- Saturated Fat: 8.9g
- Carbohydrates: 6.3g
- Fiber: 1.6g
- Protein: 20.9g
- Cholesterol: 286mg
Keywords: pesto and eggs, eggs pesto, garlic scape pesto, garlic scape pesto recipes