Pin It One Tuesday evening, I was standing in front of my open fridge with no real plan, just a box of penne and a craving for something warm that didn't feel like the usual weeknight scramble. The shakshuka I'd eaten at a friend's place weeks earlier kept coming to mind—that perfect balance of spice, tomato, and runny egg yolk. So I thought, why not marry that magic with pasta and get dinner on the table in thirty minutes? What started as improvisation became something I now make whenever I want to feel like I'm doing something special without actually spending hours in the kitchen.
The first time I served this to my partner, they were skeptical about mixing shakshuka with pasta—until that first forkful when the yolk broke and coated everything in its golden richness. There was this moment of quiet appreciation before they looked up and asked when I'd learned to cook like this. I hadn't, really; I just got lucky with a good instinct and decent ingredients.
Ingredients
- Pasta (300 g penne or rigatoni): The tubes catch sauce beautifully, so skip the spaghetti for this one—I learned that the hard way.
- Olive oil (2 tbsp): Use something you actually like tasting; it's not hidden in a long braise.
- Onion and red bell pepper: The sweetness of the pepper balances the heat and acidity of the tomatoes.
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced): Don't skip this—it's the bridge between all your flavors.
- Ground cumin and smoked paprika (1 tsp each): These are what transform tomato sauce into something that feels intentional.
- Chili flakes (1/4 tsp): Start with less if you're unsure; you can always add more heat but you can't take it back.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste (1 can plus 1 tbsp): The paste deepens the flavor, so don't think of it as optional.
- Sugar (1/2 tsp): A pinch cuts the acidity and makes the sauce taste rounder and more complete.
- Eggs (4 large): Room temperature eggs cook more gently and are less likely to have tough whites.
- Fresh parsley or cilantro: Cilantro is more forgiving if your sauce leans spicy.
- Feta cheese (optional): Crumbled cold feta against warm sauce and pasta is honestly the best part.
Instructions
- Get the water boiling:
- Salt your water generously—it should taste like a pleasant sea. This is your only real chance to season the pasta itself, so don't rush it.
- Cook your pasta to al dente:
- Drain it when it still has a tiny bit of resistance, then set it aside in a bowl with a splash of oil so it doesn't stick.
- Sauté the vegetables:
- Medium heat is your friend here; rushing will scorch your onions and you'll taste bitterness all the way through. Let them soften and just start to turn golden at the edges.
- Toast your spices:
- Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and chili flakes to the pan and let them bloom for a minute until your kitchen smells incredible. This is where the magic starts.
- Build the sauce:
- Pour in your tomatoes, tomato paste, and that little pinch of sugar. Let it simmer and reduce for about ten minutes until it thickens slightly and darkens a shade or two.
- Create wells and crack your eggs:
- Push the sauce aside gently to make four spaces, then crack an egg into each one. Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium-low—you want the egg whites to set while the yolk stays runny.
- Combine everything gently:
- Once the eggs are nearly set, add your cooked pasta to the skillet and fold it into the sauce with a light hand. If it feels too thick, splash in some of that reserved pasta water until it flows like a loose, creamy dream.
- Finish and serve:
- Scatter herbs and feta over the top just before serving so the feta doesn't get too warm and lost.
Pin It There's a particular kind of comfort in a meal where the yolk becomes your sauce, where you're eating something that tastes both familiar and a little surprising at the same time. That's what this dish became for me—an easy victory when I needed one, but never something that felt like I was settling.
Why Shakshuka Meets Pasta
Shakshuka is one of those dishes that works across cultures because it's so fundamentally simple: eggs in spiced tomato sauce. But pasta changes the equation entirely. Instead of soaking bread, you've got all these little pockets catching sauce, and the starch of the pasta smooths out the spice rather than fighting it. Once I realized the pasta water does the same thing as cream would, I was hooked—all the richness, none of the dairy requirement if you want to skip it.
The Spice Levels and What They Mean
The recipe as written lands in that comfortable middle ground where most people enjoy it, but it won't knock anyone's socks off. I've made it for heat-seekers and for people who flinch at black pepper, so I keep the chili flakes modest and let people adjust from there. A quarter teaspoon is barely a whisper—if you grew up eating spicy food or just like a stronger kick, double it without guilt.
The Egg Question and Why It Matters
The eggs are the whole point, and they're also the part that feels the most delicate if you've never done it before. The truth is simpler than it seems: you just need to cover the pan and wait. The yolk will set at a different rate than the white because the yolk is insulated by its own fat, and that's exactly what you want. When the white is opaque and the yolk jiggles if you nudge the pan, you're done—it'll finish cooking in the residual heat the second you stop applying direct heat.
- If your eggs look like they're setting too fast, lower the heat and trust that patience wins here.
- A lid is essential; if you don't have a skillet with a fitting lid, use a large plate or even foil in a pinch.
- Serve immediately, because a perfect runny yolk waits for no one.
Pin It This dish is proof that you don't need hours or a long ingredient list to feel like you're taking care of yourself through food. Make it tonight, and I promise it'll become one of those meals you turn to when you want something that feels both simple and a little bit special.
Recipe FAQs
- → What type of pasta works best?
Penne or rigatoni hold the sauce well but any similar tubular pasta works effectively.
- → Can the level of spice be adjusted?
Yes, chili flakes can be added or reduced to tailor the heat according to personal taste.
- → Is it possible to make this dairy-free?
Omit the crumbled feta or substitute with a plant-based alternative to keep it dairy-free.
- → How are eggs cooked in this dish?
Eggs are cracked into wells in the simmering sauce and gently cooked until the whites are set but yolks remain runny.
- → Can gluten-free pasta be used?
Yes, certified gluten-free pasta is a suitable alternative without compromising texture.