Zucchini Noodle Egg Nests
The following recipe and photography was provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
If you prefer savory food for breakfast or brunch, you’re in for a treat!
Birds are a symbol of spring, and I always love when their little nests pop up in my neighborhood as it’s a guaranteed sign that warmer weather is on the way.
With Easter and Mother’s Day on the horizon, I wanted to find a way to incorporate this seasonal figure into a refreshing brunch dish without a lot of effort, so I grabbed a few fresh ingredients from Heinen’s and created these Zucchini Noodle Egg Nests that are just as beautiful to the eye as they are on the palate!
What I love most about this recipe is that it uses one of my favorite shortcuts from Heinen’s: pre-spiralized zucchini noodles!
Packaged in Heinen’s Produce Department, these convenient little spirals are always fresh and vibrant and save me so much time, especially when I’m entertaining friends and family! I even use them as a replacement for traditional pasta at dinnertime.
Coated in Heinen’s jarred Italian-inspired pesto and cooked with a fresh egg in the center, this simple spring dish will make your taste buds soar!
Zucchini Noodle Egg Nests
Servings: 4 Nests
Ingredients
- Heinen's olive oil
- 16 oz. Heinen’s fresh spiralized zucchini (in the Produce Department)
- 4 Heinen’s cage free eggs
- 4 Tbsp. Heinen’s pesto
- 1 cup Heinen’s Italian panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 stick Heinen’s unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. Heinen’s dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp. chili oil
- 16-20 pearl onions
- 1/2 cup Heinen’s shredded 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano
- Tabasco sauce, for topping if desired
- 4-5 basil leaves, sliced into ribbons for topping
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Heinen’s crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Add a small amount of olive oil to a sauté pan and sauté the pearl onions over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the unsalted butter and Italian panko bread crumbs over medium-high heat. Stir intermittently for 4 minutes, then add the chili oil. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 2-3 glugs of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles and lightly sauté until just softened, about 2 minutes. Mix in the pesto and cook for about 30 seconds more.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, separate the zucchini noodles into four round piles in the skillet. Form a small well in the middle of each pile. Crack one egg into each well.
- Cover and cook, untouched, for about 3 minutes. When the egg whites are set and the yolks are still runny, they’re ready. If you prefer the whites more well done, keep covered for another minute. If you also prefer the yolks well done, break them with spatula and cook for another minute.
- After the nests are cooked to your liking, transfer them to a plate.
- Season to taste with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs around the plate and on top of the nests.
- Place the pearl onions on each nest surrounding the cooked eggs.
- Sprinkle with Heinen’s 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Add hot sauce, if desired, and garnish with fresh sliced basil.
