Egg

The intensely flavored soffrito is the foundation of this rich pasta; double the ingredients and freeze half for next time.

If you don't happen to have eight ramekins, you can assemble the sauce and eggs in a single baking dish and increase the baking time if needed.

This hefty frittata is cooked entirely on the grill—from the vegetables to the eggs themselves. While it's ok to cook the frittata over direct heat, you want to make sure the grill isn't so hot that the bottom burns before the center is set. Ideally, you should grill the frittata over moderate heat--when you can hold your hand 4 to 5 inches from the grill for 4 to 5 seconds.

With soft goat cheese, fresh young peas, and delicate pea tendrils, this omelet is an homage to spring.

For a hash with crisp texture, fold in the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

This "put an egg on it" dream dish is a must-order menu item at Sqirl. If using kale, you may want to add more lemon juice to mimic sorrel's tart sharpness.

Here's your chance to master one of Spain's classic tapas. The key is to leave the eggs slightly undercooked; that's what gives this a custardy (not bouncy) texture.

When ramps are in season, stock up and make this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Swap in any soft cheese you like: Try ricotta, cream cheese, or an oozy burrata.

When Jade says, "Make me my breakfast sandwich," we know she means this recipe. This is an all-in-one, colorful, hearty wrap that's perfect for making your own. Customize this according to what's in your fridge, swapping spinach for the kale or jarred red bell peppers for the tomatoes. And if you don't have time to poach the eggs, just scramble them instead.

Make extra grains on Sunday and use them for this lightning-quick weeknight dinner.

This is one of the simplest and yet tastiest preparations of eggs I've ever had. One afternoon, a friend and I unexpectedly dropped in on my friend Mario in Trieste. It was lunchtime, and he had a big basket full of fresh eggs he had brought down from the Carso, the high plateau surrounding Trieste. Eggs it was for lunch, served with a bowl of radicchio salad. We were just a few people that day, but this recipe is so very easy to modify for smaller or larger groups.

This may be more of a rémoulade than a tartar sauce, but we've been making it this way since I came to the Oyster Bar. Has it changed at all since 1974? There's no way for me to know—but I doubt it. Be sure the hard-cooked egg and potato are cold when you make this.

gluten free Thai-style eggs, most commonly made with softened glass noodles rather than a whole grain, are incredibly versatile, appealing to me as a quick but fun and satisfying breakfast or lunch or supper because I usually have everything I need on hand. In fact, every time I make this—and I make it often—I'm amazed that such a dish essentially just came out of my fridge. It's even easier if you have a little bag of cooked rice or other grains in the freezer: Just break off a chunk, put it in a sieve, and rinse under cool water until the grains separate. If you don't have fish sauce, you can use 1 tablespoon soy sauce instead, and if you don't have chile paste, use a couple good pinches of crushed red chiles. The one secret to good yam kai, in my experience, is that you must cook the shallots until they're almost burned. And the more of them you use, the better—as many as you can stand to peel and slice in the morning as you down your first cup of coffee; four is my limit.

This breakfast is wonderfully versatile and allows you to use up any leftover grains you have from previous meals, folding in leafy greens for a bit of color. In that sense, think of it more as a template rather than a hard-and-fast approach.

The frittata will be easier to remove from the skillet if it sits for a few minutes—the top will deflate and the edges will pull away from the pan.

Baked eggs are great for brunch, and this version is no exception. But with a salad of leafy greens, it's also hearty and satisfying enough to double as dinner.

This is an American-style Italian frittata or Spanish tortilla, an open-faced omelet that's a great last-minute brunch dish. The potato chips are layered throughout yet still retain their firm texture. (You don't even need to add salt to the eggs, because the potato chips provide the seasoning.) You can enjoy this warm or at room temperature, with sour cream on the side. Or if you're a ketchup-on-your-eggs person, use the San Marzano ketchup. (After I came up with this dish, I saw similar versions done by José Andrés and Ferran Adrià. A good idea is a good idea no matter how many people come up with it.)