Portuguese Baked Eggs With Chorizo and Ricotta

Entered for safe-keeping, from Jennifer Olvera for Serious Eats blog. More at http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/02/portuguese-baked-eggs-with-chorizo-and-ricotta-recipe.html. Buy your ricotta at an Italian deli if you can. The sauce is very spicy; if you want to tone it down, remove the seeds and white membrane from the serranos or use a single jalapeno (also with seeds removed). The sauce may be made up to 1 day in advance; store it in the refrigerator, but be sure to warm it before proceeding with the recipe. These are perfect for brunch or for a dinner with crusty bread and a crisp green salad in a acidic vinaigrette.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• SAUCE

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup  spanish chorizo, finely diced
• 3  red bell peppers or 2  cups red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2  serrano peppers or 2  tablespoons  serrano peppers, minced
• 1  medium onions or 1  cup onion, thinly sliced
• 6  garlic cloves or 2  tablespoons garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 3  sprigs fresh thyme
• 2  bay leaves
• 14 1⁄2 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1⁄4 cup fresh basil leaf, torn
•  kosher salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• EGGS AND CHEESE

• 1  cup ricotta cheese
• 6  large eggs
• 1  cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
•  kosher salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1  loaf  crusty bread, sliced

Directions

1. Adjust rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. SAUCE.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chorizo and cook, stirring, until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes.
4. Add bell peppers and serrano peppers, onion, and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring often, until vegetables soften, 5-7 minutes.
5. Add chili powder, paprika, thyme, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Add tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes.
8. Discard thyme and bay leaves. This can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance, but make sure sauce is warmed up before proceeding to EGGS AND CHEESE steps.
9. EGGS AND CHEESE.
10. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spread pepper sauce evenly in the dish, leaving 6 indentations to cradle the eggs.
11. Evenly top divots with ricotta and crack an egg on top of each one.
12. Sprinkle cheddar and Parmesan cheeses on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to preheated 375-degrees-F oven to cook until eggs are just barely set and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and serve immediately with bread.