Strapatsada — Greece

Strapatsada is a Greek dish of eggs scrambled into a thick tomato sauce, prized for how quickly and simply it comes together from inexpensive, widely available ingredients: fresh tomatoes, eggs, and olive oil. It is also known in some regions as kagianas, as koskosela in the Cyclades, or as menemeni, names that point to closely related versions of the same idea across the country. It is reported as especially popular in the Ionian Islands and in many other regions of Greece, most often served for lunch or as a light snack, though it can also be eaten cold. Being at its best when tomatoes are abundant and sweet, it is strongly tied to the summer months. The name itself is said to trace back to the Italian word strapazzare, meaning to break and mix eggs while cooking. To prepare it, chopped or puréed tomatoes are cooked in a pan with olive oil and pepper until they reduce into a thick sauce. Beaten eggs are then poured in and scrambled through the sauce until just set. Feta cheese can be crumbled in just before the heat is turned off, in which case salt is usually left out since the cheese already carries enough. Oregano, thyme, or other dried herbs are commonly added for seasoning. A less common approach, reported particularly in the Peloponnese, cooks the dish closer to shakshuka: the tomatoes are fried down first, and the eggs are then poached whole in the sauce rather than scrambled through it. Beyond this, households vary in how thick the sauce is reduced, whether feta is included, and which herbs are used, so the dish takes a slightly different form from one kitchen to the next while keeping the same core of tomato and egg.