Vegetable Shakshuka with Pesto

Ingredients

• 4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 8 pieces
• 1 medium beefsteak tomato, cored and cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup water, or more if needed
• 1 yellow pattypan squash, 1 medium summer squash, or 1/2 golden zucchini
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup pesto, homemade or store-bought
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, for garnish, optional
• Baguette or thick slices of bread, to serve
• A blender or food processor

Directions

1. Puree the plum tomatoes and beefsteak tomato in a blender or food processor until the mixture looks like a loose sauce; you should end up with about 3 cups.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Stir in the scallions and cook them, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, and paprika, and stir for 1 minute longer.
3. Pour in the blended tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until the mixture is no longer sputtering. Stir in 1/4 cup water. Turn the heat down and let the sauce gently simmer for 5 minutes. If it starts looking too thick or dry, splash in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash, then quarter it. If you are using yellow squash or zucchini, cut away the seedy center; with pattypan, you can leave the seeds since there are fewer of them. Slice the vegetables very thinly.
5. Stir the squash into the tomato sauce so it is well coated, then cook for 5 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender. Add more water if the sauce needs loosening.
6. Crack the eggs separately into individual cups. With the back of a spoon, press 4 wells into the tomato mixture, then gently slide an egg into each one without breaking the yolk. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until the whites have set and the yolks are still runny.
7. Dot the finished dish with pesto and scatter basil leaves over the top. Spoon it straight from the pan into individual dishes.