Poached Eggs with Spinach & Ricotta
This colorful brunch dish combines fresh spinach with grape tomatoes, ricotta cheese and poached eggs. Crisp bacon slices and buttered toast round out the plates.
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 8 eggs
- 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 12 oz. fresh baby spinach
- 20 to 24 grape tomatoes, halved
- Buttered toast for serving
Directions
Preheat an oven to 180ºF.
In a nonstick fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in the oven.
Put the ricotta in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Fill an egg-poaching pan with 1/2 inch water and set over medium heat. Place the poacher insert in the pan, cover with the lid and bring the water to a simmer. Lightly spray the poaching cups with nonstick cooking spray. Crack an egg into each cup, cover the pan and cook until the egg whites are set, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the eggs from the cups and repeat to poach the remaining eggs.
In a small fry pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add one-fourth of the spinach and cook, turning the spinach with tongs, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to an individual plate. Working in 3 more batches, repeat to cook the remaining spinach, transferring each portion to an individual plate.
To serve, top each portion of spinach with about 5 small spoonfuls of ricotta. Top with the tomato halves and 2 poached eggs per plate. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Accompany each portion with 2 bacon slices and buttered toast. Serves 4.
