{Special Ingredient: Eggs}

I absolutely love recipes that involve an egg. A burger with an egg on top, pasta carbonara with an egg on top, I could go on for hours. Here are three recipes that look delicious and they all have one thing in common: eggs!

Whole Egg Pasta Carbonara

12 ounces fresh linguini

8 ounces of finely chopped pancetta

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and ground black pepper

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Bring large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water, then drain pasta.

Leave pasta in colander to drain. Return saucepan to heat. Add pancetta and cook until just crisp, about 5 minutes. Add pasta, then toss well. Cover and set aside.

In large skillet over low heat, melt butter. Keeping them separate, crack eggs into skillet and cook sunny-side up until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Season eggs with salt and pepper.

Add 1 cup of cheese to pasta and toss to melt. While tossing, drizzle in just enough of reserved cooking water to help cheese coat pasta. Arrange pasta on 4 serving plates, then top each mound with an egg. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese. If desired, use fork to break each yolk just before serving.

 Soft Eggs with Buttery-Gruyere Toast

16 sourdough toast fingers (mine were from 1/2-inch thick slices, cut into 1/2-inch batons)

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup finely grated gruyère cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

2 tablespoons finely grated Romano cheese

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (optional)

4 large eggs

Make croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bread cubes in shallow, wide 

bowl. Whisk together butter and Dijon, then pour over bread fingers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, both types of cheese, parsley and thyme, if using. Toss to coat. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Scatter bread on sheet. Bake croutons until crisp and golden, turning, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook eggs: Bring a medium pot of water to a steady boil. Add eggs and cook them for exactly six minutes, maintaining the heat at a simmer, then drain and rinse them briefly in cold water.

Holding the egg vertically, pointier side down, with a towel or paper towel to protect you from its heat, tap a knife around the “neck,” about half an inch below the top so that you can remove a little “lid” area. Place the egg in a small dish, opened side up, and serve with a small spoon and toast soldiers.

Don’t have adorable chicken or other tiny egg cups and spoons? With a little patience, you can peel the soft-boiled eggs as you would a hard-boiled one. It’s tricky, because they are liquid in the center, but doable. For this method, arrange four of your croutons on a small plate. Place the peeled egg over the croutons and smash it lightly, delightfully (if you don’t find this to be really fun, I am not sure we can be friends) with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and eat with a fork and knife.

Frisee Salad with Poached Egg and Bacon

Ingredients

• 4 slices country bread
• 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves peeled garlic, 1 halved and 1 finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 pound frisée, torn into large pieces
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 
  

Preheat broiler. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush 1 side with the EVOO. Broil until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove and rub with the halved garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Fill a medium skillet with water to a depth of about 2 inches; bring to a simmer. Crack each egg into a ramekin or teacup, then tip the eggs 1 at a time into the simmering water (alternatively, use a egg poacher or egg rings). Poach over medium heat until the whites are set and the yolks are soft, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a paper towel-lined plate and gently blot dry.

Add the frisée to a large, heatproof bowl. Reheat the bacon in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the vinegar and cook until simmering. Toss the bacon dressing with the frisée. Mound onto 4 plates and top each with a poached egg; season. Serve with the garlic toasts.

*Images and recipes from Smitten Kitchen, Rachael Ray, and Suntimes.com