Sinfully Delicious Egg and Pancetta on Toasted and Bread Cups

These cute bread cups have it all: perfectly baked egg, crispy-at-the-edges pancetta, and melted cheesy center. 
All over a golden toasted bread cup.
Brunch can't get any better than this!

What's not to love about this dish?! It has bacon. It has perfectly baked, runny eggs. It's served over a toasted slice of cheesy bread. It's quick and super easy to make in a few simple steps. And check it out: only four main ingredients ... no oil not butter!
With this recipe, you can make your Sunday brunch extra special, served next to a healthy green salad. But eggs is one of those things that you can really eat at any time of the day: for a hearty breakfast, a quick lunch or a fun family dinner.  Also, with these cute and elegant bread cups, you can for sure wow your guests at your next party!
And hey! Mother's Day is right around the corner. You have a week to show this recipe and convince your kids (and your husband) to bake these for you. So you can treat yourself with a lavish brunch ... maybe served in bed :-)
And don't forget, the apple roses would also look really good on that breakfast tray ;-)

Here are a few suggestions for you. Make sure you have large enough slices of bread, so that the bread can hold the filling inside. And it's better if the slices are cut thin, so there is more space inside. Also I suggest using small or medium eggs. A large egg might over-spill, when you use a regular sized muffin cup.

Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups (serving 2 or 3)              Printable Recipe

• 6 slices of bread
• about 3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• 6 cage-free, organic small or medium eggs
• 6 slices of pancetta, or thin cut bacon
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Remove the crust from the bread slices.

2. Flatten the bread slices with a rolling pin.

 3. Place each slice in each muffin cup, pressing it down with your fingers. Don't worry if the bread breaks on the bottom, it will be fine. I used a silicone mold, so no greasing is required. If you are not, make sure to spray or grease with a little bit of butter the bottom and sides of the cup.

4. Sprinkle the bottom of each bread cup with about half tablespoon of shredded mozzarella.

5. Wrap a slice of pancetta around the edge.

6. Add the egg, trying not to break the yolk. It might overflow if the egg is too big... don't worry!  Medium or small eggs work better in this recipe.

7. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Remember the pancetta or bacon tends to be salty so don't use too much salt. Bake for about 20 minutes for a runny egg, 25 minutes for a fully cooked egg.

 Serve immediately and eat as fast as you can. Buon appetito!

Creamy Penne Pasta with Zucchini, Pancetta and Ricotta Cheese

Perfect one-dish dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes

Creamy and rich penne pasta with wholesome zucchini, flavorful pancetta and delicate ricotta cheese.

Here is another recipe great for a family dinner on a busy weeknight. 

This pasta is super easy to prepare. It won't take you more than 30 minutes from start to finish. And it makes a healthy, complete and balanced one-dish meal. It has a full serving of  vegetables, carbs from the pasta, proteins from the ricotta and Parmesan cheese and ... oh well, the pancetta. Not as healthy as the rest, but it's sinfully delicious taste makes this dish incredibly flavorful. 

Here are other simple and quick pasta recipes with zucchini that are ready in less than 30 minutes. Buon appetito!

Fettuccine Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplants, and Peppers

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Zucchini

Penne Pasta with Shrimps and Zucchini

Ingredients: serving 4

• half onion
• 4 medium zucchini
• 8 oz  (225 gr) whole milk ricotta
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 3 oz (85 gr) of pancetta (or thin sliced bacon)
• 12 oz (225 gr) of penne pasta (or other shape)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Directions:

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the penne pasta when boiling following the directions on the box.
In a large skillet, saute' the chopped onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat.

Step 2: Add the zucchini cut in small pieces. Saute' over medium-high flame for 7-10 minutes. Season with salt.

Step 3: Add the pancetta cut in strips and saute' for a couple of more minutes.

Step 4: In a bowl prepare the ricotta by mixing it with a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, the Parmesan cheese and about a 1/4 cup of hot water from the pot where the pasta is cooking. Mix and make it creamy.

Step 5: Drain the pasta and toss it in the skillet with the zucchini and the ricotta. Serve immediately. 

Buon appetito!

Baked Cheesy Bread Cups filled with Eggs and Pancetta

Make your Sunday brunch a hit with these cheesy bread cups filled with scrumptious pancetta and perfectly baked eggs.

What's not to love about this dish?! It has bacon. It has perfectly baked, soft eggs. It's served over a toasted slice of cheesy bread. It's quick and super easy to make in a few simple steps.
With this recipe, you can make your Sunday brunch extra special, served next to a healthy green salad. Or also you can wow your guests at your next party. These cups make an elegant and satisfying finger food. Why not prepare it this Sunday for your Superbowl party?!? You will no be disappointed.
Here are a few suggestions for you. Make sure you have large enough slices of bread, so that the bread can hold the filling inside. And it's better if the slices are cut thin, so there is more space inside. Also I suggest super thin pancetta or bacon, which cooks faster and it's easier to bite into. And you should use small or medium eggs. A large egg might over-spill, when you use a regular sized muffin cup.
Buon appetito!

Ingredients: to make 6 cups, serving 2 or 3

• 6 slices of bread
• 3 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• 6 cage-free, organic small or medium eggs
• 3 slices of pancetta, or thin cut bacon
• salt and pepper

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the crust from the bread and place one slice in each muffin cup, pressing it down with your fingers. Don't worry if the bread breaks on the bottom, just press it down and it will be fine. I used a silicone mold, so no greasing is required. If you are not, make sure to grease with a little bit of butter the bottom and sides of the cup.

2. Sprinkle each bread slice with about half tablespoon of shredded mozzarella, pushing down with your fingers or spoon. We need to keep as much space as possible in the cup for the egg. Wrap half slice of pancetta around the edge. Add the egg, trying not to break the yolk. It might overflow if the egg is too big... don't worry! I will just lose some of the white, but it will look perfect at the end. Medium or small eggs work better in this recipe.

3. Sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Remember the pancetta or bacon tends to be salty. Bake for about 20 minutes for a soft egg, 25 minutes for a fully cooked egg.

 Enjoy!

Artichokes and Pancetta Puff Pastry Cups

Crispy and cheesy puff pastry cups filled with the perfect combination of delicate artichokes and savory pancetta. 

Yummy!

Here is a perfect party snack, or an amazing way to start a delicious meal. Either way, this step-by-step recipe will show you how easy is to make this exquisite appetizer. Using frozen puff pastry makes  the job super easy and fast. Just thaw the pastry sheets, prepare the stuffing in only a few minutes and throw in the oven.

These savory cups are crispy and cheesy. Every bite is filled with the delicate and sweet flavor of the artichokes, complemented by the scrumptious taste of the pancetta.
And did you know that artichokes are one of the top vegetables with high antioxidant levels? With all the pancetta in this recipe, we might need all the antioxidants we can get to help protects the healthy cells in our body. Great example of a balanced diet :-) 
Buon appetito!!


Ingredients: to make 18 cups (serving 6-9 people)

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 9 oz (about 1.5 cups) of frozen artichoke hearts (I used the Trader Joe's frozen )
• 4 oz of pancetta
• 6 oz (about 1.5 cups) of shredded  mozzarella cheese
• 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons of whipping cream
• 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry (I used the Pepperidge Farm - 1.1 lb)
• 1 egg
• salt

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Directions:
Step 1: Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes. In the mean time, rinse the artichoke hearts with water for about 1 minute in a colander. Cut them in small slices and sautes' in a pan with the olive oil for about 5 minutes, over medium heat. Salt to taste.

Step 2: Cut the pancetta in strips and add to the pan. Saute' only for a couple of minutes.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Stretch the pastry a little bit, and cut each sheet into 9 squares. Each square should be bigger than the muffin mold cup (I used silicone )  as shown in my picture. Push down with your finger in the middle, and keep the sides up. The pastry can stretch a little, but careful not to break it.

Step 4: Mix the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and the whipping cream with the artichokes. Divide the mixture into each cup evenly.

Step 5: Close the cups by pulling together the four corners of the pastry square. Seal tightly by pressing the corners together and folding down a little bit, to make sure the cups will not open while baking.

Step 6: Beat the egg in a small bowl, and brush it on top of each cup. This will give a nice golden color to the puff pastry.

Step 7: Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until golden on top.

Serve hot or warm. Enjoy!!

 

This recipe was also published on Honest Cooking: