Chef Graziella
Torta Pasqualina
The great Easter pie of Liguria, where paper-thin pastry enfolds a filling of greens and ricotta with whole eggs nestled inside, their yolks set but still golden when you slice through.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Uova in Camicia con Pesto Genovese
Created by
Ligurian mornings distilled: a warm poached egg breaks over cold basil pesto, the runny yolk becoming sauce for crusty bread. Two temperatures, one ancient tradition.
Breakfast & Brunch
Italian, Ligurian
Quick Meal
Special Occasion
25 min
Active Time
5 min cook•30 min total
Yield2 servings
In Liguria, they understand that breakfast need not be complicated to be perfect. A properly poached egg, its white set firm while the yolk remains liquid gold, placed atop cold pesto Genovese. When you break the yolk with your fork, it mingles with the bright green sauce. You have created something neither ingredient could achieve alone.
The pesto must be cold. This is not negotiable. The temperature contrast is the point. Warm pesto loses its brightness, its fresh basil perfume dulled by heat. The egg provides warmth. The pesto provides intensity. Together they find balance.
Americans have corrupted pesto beyond recognition, adding too much garlic, substituting walnuts for pine nuts, leaving out the Pecorino. True pesto Genovese contains seven ingredients, no more. The basil must be Genovese basil if you can find it, with small leaves that have none of the mintiness of larger varieties. You pound it in a mortar, never a blender, which bruises the leaves and turns them bitter. If you must use a food processor, use short pulses and accept that you have compromised.
Pesto alla Genovese dates to the 19th century, though Ligurian cooks had been pounding basil and garlic since at least the 16th century in preparations called agliata. The mortar and pestle technique, from which pesto takes its name (pestare, to pound), predates mechanical alternatives by centuries. Ligurian sailors carried dried pesto on long voyages, reconstituting it with oil when they longed for home.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh basil leaves
Quantity
2 cups packed (about 2 ounces)
Genovese basil preferred
pine nuts
Quantity
2 tablespoons
garlic
Quantity
1 small clove
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Quantity
1/4 cup
freshly grated
Pecorino Fiore Sardo
Quantity
2 tablespoons
freshly grated
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/2 cup
Ligurian if possible
coarse salt
Quantity
to taste
large eggs
Quantity
4
as fresh as possible
white wine vinegar
Quantity
2 tablespoons
crusty bread
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh basil leavesGenovese basil preferred | 2 cups packed (about 2 ounces) |
| pine nuts | 2 tablespoons |
| garlic | 1 small clove |
| Parmigiano-Reggianofreshly grated | 1/4 cup |
| Pecorino Fiore Sardofreshly grated | 2 tablespoons |
| extra virgin olive oilLigurian if possible | 1/2 cup |
| coarse salt | to taste |
| large eggsas fresh as possible | 4 |
| white wine vinegar | 2 tablespoons |
| crusty bread | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Marble mortar and pestle (or food processor as compromise)
- •Wide shallow saucepan for poaching
- •Slotted spoon
- •Small bowls for cracking eggs
- •Clean kitchen towels
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the basil
Wash the basil leaves gently and dry them completely. Wet basil will not pound properly and will darken the pesto. A salad spinner works. Paper towels work better. The leaves must be bone dry before you begin.
Never refrigerate fresh basil. It turns black. Keep it at room temperature with the stems in water, like flowers. - 2
Pound the pesto foundation
In a marble mortar, combine the garlic clove with a generous pinch of coarse salt. Pound to a paste. The salt acts as an abrasive. Add the pine nuts and pound until they are crushed but not pureed. You want texture, not smooth paste. Add the basil in handfuls, pounding and grinding in a circular motion against the sides of the mortar. Work each addition until it breaks down before adding more.
If using a food processor, pulse in short bursts. The friction of long processing heats the basil and turns it bitter. Add the oil while the blade is stopped, not running. - 3
Finish the pesto
When the basil is reduced to a coarse paste with visible flecks of green, add both cheeses. Pound briefly to incorporate. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, stirring constantly with the pestle to emulsify. The pesto should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon but loose enough to spread. Taste and adjust salt. Cover and set aside at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
- 4
Prepare the poaching water
Fill a wide, shallow saucepan with three inches of water. Add the white wine vinegar and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a bare simmer. You want small bubbles rising from the bottom, not a rolling boil. Violent water tears the whites apart.
- 5
Poach the eggs
Crack each egg into a small bowl. This is not optional. You must examine each egg individually. One bad yolk ruins the dish. Stir the water gently to create a slow whirlpool. Slide an egg from the bowl into the center of the whirlpool. The spinning water wraps the white around the yolk. This is the camicia, the shirt. Poach for exactly 3 minutes for a runny yolk, 4 minutes for a yolk that is set at the edges but liquid at the center.
Fresh eggs poach beautifully. Old eggs have watery whites that disperse into wisps. If your eggs are more than a week old, strain them through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the watery portion before poaching. - 6
Remove and drain
Lift each egg from the water with a slotted spoon. Let it drain for several seconds, then blot the bottom gently on a clean kitchen towel. Excess water will dilute your pesto. Repeat with remaining eggs. Work quickly. The eggs should be served immediately.
- 7
Plate and serve
Spread a generous spoonful of cold pesto on each warmed plate. Nestle two poached eggs on the pesto. Drizzle a thin thread of olive oil over each egg. Serve immediately with crusty bread for mopping. Once the eggs are plated, invite your guests to begin. This dish waits for no one.
Chef Tips
- •The garlic in pesto Genovese should be a whisper, not a shout. One small clove for two cups of basil. More than this and you have made something other than pesto.
- •Pecorino Fiore Sardo is the traditional Sardinian cheese used in Genoa. If unavailable, Pecorino Romano may substitute, but use slightly less as it is saltier and more aggressive.
- •The quality of your olive oil matters profoundly here. It is half the pesto by volume. Ligurian oil is delicate and fruity. A peppery Tuscan oil will overpower the basil.
- •Crack eggs into individual bowls before poaching. This reveals any broken yolks or off-smelling eggs before they contaminate your poaching water.
Advance Preparation
- •Pesto can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated, pressed flat with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent browning. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- •For longer storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays, then transfer to freezer bags. Frozen pesto keeps three months. The cheeses may be added after thawing if you prefer.
- •The eggs must be poached fresh. There is no advance preparation for this step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 210g)
Calories
780 calories
Total Fat
76 g
Saturated Fat
15 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
59 g
Cholesterol
390 mg
Sodium
715 mg
Total Carbohydrates
4 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
21 g
Where cooking meets culture.
Culinary guides, cultural storytelling, and the editorial depth that makes cooking meaningful.
Discover Culinary ExplorerMore from Chef Graziella's Breakfast and Brunch
Browse the full collection
Chef Graziella
Torta Verde Genovese
The great vegetable pie of Genoa, where whatever greens the garden offers are wilted, squeezed dry, and bound with eggs and cheese into something that travels beautifully and tastes even better the next day.
Chef Juliette
Omelette à l’Écossaise
A creamy omelette aux fines herbes closes around smoked-salmon-wrapped herring milts, gently poached in butter. Have the filling ready, then roll the eggs while they still shine.
Chef Juliette
Omelette aux Fines Herbes
Four tender herbs, hot butter, and two eggs per pan: this rolled omelette teaches the quick hand and good judgment that keep the outside pale and the center creamy.