Savory Oats with Tomatoes, Bacon, and Sunny-Side-Up Eggs

METHOD

1. In my childhood, oats were always sweet, in endless variations. Until recently, I was living in a lie. These savory oats with tomatoes, bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs will change you forever, and you may never go back to sweet oats again. It’s a deep, satisfying dish you can eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner—something you cook for people you love (or just for yourself). You can add bacon or leave it out. Either way, the smell is incredible, and it looks exactly as good as it tastes.

   What to buy

   • 30 g butter
   • 1 handful cherry tomatoes
   • 100 g bacon or pancetta, diced
   • 1 cup rolled oats
   • 1½ cups water
   • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
   • 40 g mozzarella or another good melting cheese, grated
   • 30 g Parmesan, finely grated
   • Garlic (1–2 cloves), finely chopped
   • Turmeric
   • Paprika
   • Dried basil
   • Salt and black pepper
   • 2 eggs
   • Olive oil (for frying eggs)
   • Balsamic glaze or vinegar, optional

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   Steps

   Step 1: Build the base

   Ingredients:

   • 30 g butter
   • Garlic (1–2 cloves), finely chopped
   • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
   • Turmeric
   • Paprika
   • Dried basil
   • Salt and black pepper In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the butter and let it foam. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant. Add a pinch of turmeric, paprika, and dried basil, followed by the tomato paste. Stir and let everything cook together for 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor.

   Step 2: Cook the bacon and tomatoes

   Ingredients:

   • 100 g bacon or pancetta, diced
   • 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
   • Salt and black pepper Add the bacon and cook until nearly done and lightly crisped. Add the cherry tomatoes, halved, and cook for 3–5 minutes, until softened but still holding their shape.

   Step 3: Cook the oats

   Ingredients:

   • 1 cup rolled oats
   • 1½ cups water
   • 40 g mozzarella or another good melting cheese, grated
   • 30 g Parmesan, finely grated
   • Salt and black pepper Add the oats and water to the pan. Stir well and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender but not mushy. Stir in the mozzarella, then the Parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper, mix well, then cover with a lid and remove from heat.

   Step 4: Fry the eggs

   Ingredients:

   • 2 eggs
   • Olive oil (for frying)
   • Salt and black pepper Heat a cold frying pan with a little olive oil. Crack in the eggs while the pan is still cold—this makes it easier to gently adjust the yolks if you want them neatly centered. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the whites are set and the yolks remain runny. Season with salt and pepper.

   Step 5: Assemble

   Ingredients:

   • Cooked savory oats
   • 2 sunny-side-up eggs
   • Balsamic glaze or vinegar, optional
   • Extra black pepper and flaky salt (for serving) Spoon the oats onto plates. Top each portion with a sunny-side-up egg. Finish with flaky salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic if you like. Serve immediately.

   Notes

   • Let the tomato paste cook long enough to lose its sharpness; if the pan looks dry, add a tiny splash of water so the spices do not burn.
   • Taste the bacon before salting and remember the oats will thicken as they sit; loosen them with a splash of water if needed.
   • For eggs with crisper edges, spoon a bit of hot oil over the whites; if cooking for more people, keep the oats covered on very low heat and fry the eggs in batches, loosening the oats with water if they tighten up.