Baked Eggs with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Chickpeas, and Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 large eggs
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the center position and turn the broiler to medium. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet, coat both sides with olive oil, then rub each one with the cut side of the halved garlic clove and add a pinch of salt. Broil until browned, flipping once, 2 to 2-1/2 minutes total.
2. Change the oven temperature to 425°F. Place half of the chickpeas in a shallow bowl and mash them roughly with a fork. Warm 2 Tbs. oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring now and then, until it looks translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot pepper and grated garlic, and cook just until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the mashed chickpeas, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and sprinkle the remaining whole chickpeas evenly across the top. With a large spoon, create four evenly spaced wells in the tomato mixture, then crack an egg into each one. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the skillet, keeping it off the eggs.
4. Move the skillet to the oven and bake until the whites have turned opaque, the yolks are nearly set, and the cheese has melted, 8 to 9 minutes. Take the skillet out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper to the eggs, finish with the basil, and serve alongside the toast.