Eggs Baked in Tomatoes with Prosciutto and Pesto

Eggs Baked in Tomatoes with Prosciutto and Pesto
4 large tomatoes
4 slices prosciutto, sliced very thin
1 tablespoon basil pesto
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Asiago Cheese, grated (Parmesan Cheese would also be nice)
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking dish/cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  With a serrated knife, cut off the top of the tomato.  With a spoon, very carefully scoop out all of the seeds and internal membranes.  Please use care not to break through the side of the tomato.  Turn tomato upside down on a paper towel lined plate to drain for 10-15 minutes.  After 15 minutes brush insides of tomatoes with pesto and season with black pepper.  Wrap outside of tomatoes with prosciutto and secure with a toothpick.

Place tomato in prepared baking dish, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until prosciutto is beginning to crisp and turn brown.  Very carefully break one egg into each tomato and top with grated asiago cheese.  Season with a bit more black pepper.

Return to oven and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until egg is set to your liking.  Serve warm with garlic toast for dipping and sopping up all the heavenly juices.

we served these with roasted vegetables and garlic toast

I was completely inspired to make this dish after reading September's Everyday Food.  Their recipe was slightly different, using fresh corn scrambled into the eggs.  They sounded and looked beautiful, but tonight I wasn't really in the mood for corn.  I was in the mood for the prosciutto I had in my fridge and the homemade pesto I can't stop adding to things.  So I decided to tweak the recipe slightly, and these were born.  And now I think I have found my favorite way to eat an egg.  I love how the tomato is the perfect little edible cup for the eggs and they went lovely with the pesto.  This was a perfect summer dinner, but would obviously be great for breakfast or a simple brunch with friends.