Pesto Toast With Fried Eggs and Sundried Tomatoes
By: Merritt Allen
What is better than a regular sandwich? How about an open faced egg breakfast sandwich with roasted baby tomatoes, homemade pesto, and cheese? This pesto toast recipe is all the delicious parts of a sandwich but enjoy open faced style!
I used to eat breakfast sandwiches really often, and always loved how simple and flavorful you could make them. This recipe for pesto toast with fried eggs is incredibly easy to make, maybe a little messy to eat, but super tasty all around. You will love having these eggs for breakfast since they are paired with fresh and delicious flavors!
This recipes uses homemade pesto sauce and some oven-roasted baby cherry tomatoes that taste so good when topped with creamy parmesan cheese. I always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I can tell you that these sandwiches are really important for having a delicious morning. The great thing about pesto toast is that it is really filling and has a lot of flavor without being heavy. I hope you give pesto toast a try and love it as much as I do!
Notes and Tips for Pesto Toast with Fried Eggs:
This meal is pretty easy to make if you have your pesto prepped. You can make my homemade pesto, that is very easy, or just store bought basil pesto works great too.
I call for 4 sunny side up eggs. This serves two people by making two open faced sandwiches per person. Adjust the amount of eggs for how many people you have eating. Leftover fried eggs never taste, or smell, that great so I like to make fresh each time. That being said, make-ahead sandwiches are great for a busy morning! I like to lightly scramble my eggs so that they fit nicely on my toast and can be wrapped in foil to take on the go!
How To Make Homemade Sundried Tomatoes:
I like to fresh roast baby tomatoes for this recipe. They are so delicious and easy! To prepare: cut cherry tomatoes in half and toss with olive oil, salt, garlic, and pepper. Roast for about 10-15 or until just starting to wilt and the juices are leaking out. The tomatoes will still be slightly juicy but roasting them brings out their natural sugars and is so tasty. If you do not want to do this step, use store bought sundried tomatoes.
What Kind Of Bread To Use For Pesto Toast?
I use sourdough bread for this because I love the flavor. I live close to a bakery so its always a delight to have fresh baked sourdough! Other great options are basically any type of bread you like!
If you are cooking for a lot of people, toast your bread in the oven! Spread with a little olive oil and butter and place in the oven at 325 F for about 10 minutes or until your bread has reached desired toast level. It is easy to feed a crowd by frying large amounts of egg in your largest frying pan.
Two halves of pesto toast can be slapped together (literally) to make a delicious breakfast sandwich. I recommend, cooking your egg a little longer so that its not too messy, but either way its a great way to take this breakfast on the go.
What is the Best Way To Fry and Egg?
The best way to fry an egg is to use oil and to not overcook your eggs. Adding butter to your skillet and letting it bubbling and hot is the best place to start for a great fried egg. Once the butter is hot, cracking your egg over the butter and covering the egg or eggs with a lid will cook your egg faster and will not burn the bottoms. Allow the egg to fry for 1-2 minutes, or until your just start to see the egg white on top starting to turn opaque. Turn the heat off and leave the lid on for an additional 2 minutes. Leave the lid for an extra minute or so if you like your yolk to be completely cooked.
The cook times will vary depending on how many eggs you are cooking at once and how hot the skillet is to start. If you like an egg with a runny yolk, then a turning the heat off right as the whites turn opaque is the best method. Leaving the heat on will quickly lead to an over cooked egg.
Ingredients For Pesto Toast With Fried Eggs:
Recipe for Pesto Toast:
- 4 Tbs Basil Pesto Homemade or storebought. See Notes for homemade recipe.
- 4 Fried eggs You can also scramble your eggs but runny fried eggs taste best.
- 4 Slices Toasted Sourdough
- 1/2 Cup sundried tomatoes You can homemake the sundried tomatoes, buy them, or use larger tomato slices. The acid in the tomatoes is a good contrast to basil and the runny egg flavors.
- 1/4 Cup parmesan cheese You can use feta, goat cheese, or shredded gouda too!
- 1-2 Tbs butter for egg frying. Butter tastes best but you can use olive oil or ghee or any oil you prefer to cook with.
- Basil leaves (for topping). optional but so good.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How To Make Pesto Toast with Fried Eggs:
Make the Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes
If using homemade pesto, prepare with my homemade basil pesto with roasted walnuts recipe.
If making fresh roasted tomatoes: preheat the oven to 350 F or skip to step 5.
Cut your tomatoes in half and toss with 2 Tbs of olive, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Roast until begin to wilt, about 10 minutes.
Make the Pesto Toast:
If you skipped steps 2-4, preheat your oven to 325 F.
Slice 4 pieces of bread and spread with a little bit of butter.
Place in the oven and toast until slightly crispy, about 8-10 minutes depending on slice size.
While your bread is toasting, heat a non-stick skillet with 2 Tbs of butter over medium-high heat.
Crack 4 eggs into the hot butter. Cover your eggs.
After 1 minutes, turn the heat down to low and allow the eggs to finish cooking. For runnier eggs remove the lid after 3 minutes. Your egg yolks should be just clouded over but not hard.
Set your pan aside and prepare your bread.
Spread the toasted bread with pesto, and add a fried egg for each slice of bread.
Top with tomatoes, parmesan, fresh basil leaves, salt, and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Why I love Pesto Toast with Fried Eggs and Sundried Tomatoes:
This toast is so flavorful and is one of those recipes that looks as pretty as it is tasty! The pesto is a great way to enjoy pesto sauce and runny eggs are just a delight to eat in the mornings. Every time I have pesto toast for breakfast, it feels indulgent but it is a protein rich breakfast that is filling and healthy.