Why this in-demand Brooklyn chef advocates breakfast for dinner

You dream of cooking a gourmet dinner after work every night, but in reality you’re probably tossing together some wilted veggies or microwaving another bowl of leftovers.

But not every throw-it-together-now dinner needs to be bland. Just take it from renowned chef Missy Robbins, the culinary genius behind Brooklyn hotspot Lilia.

“It doesn’t make eating at home so daunting if you just take a couple hours a couple times a week and prep a bunch of stuff,” Robbins says. “If I have tomato sauce in the house, I know I can always make my eggs in purgatorio, which is eggs in spicy tomato sauce.”

As if its super-quick cook time wasn’t enough of a perk, the recipe is also Weight Watchers Freestyle-friendly thanks to zero-Points® ingredients like eggs (a new addition!), tomatoes, and flavor boosters like rosemary and chili flakes. With over 200 foods now clocking in at zero Points®, it’s easy to whip up a healthy meal that actually tastes delish.

Robbins’ meal-prep hack? Make a big batch of the Arrabbiata sauce in advance (you can even freeze some for emergencies), then heat up as needed with fresh eggs on top—so you get the convenience of a make-ahead meal, without feeling like you’re eating leftovers. Dinner: Served.

Scroll down for Missy Robbins’ full week-night-ready recipe.

Eggs In Purgatorio

Yields: About 4 servings; 2 SmartPoints® per serving

1 quart Arrabbiata sauce (recipe below)8 eggs1 tsp chili flakes1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked½ cup grated Pecorino Romano

1. Heat Arrabbiata sauce in a large shallow pan over medium-low heat. If it is a little thick, thin it out with a bit of water.

2. Once sauce is hot, gently crack eggs, one by one, directly into the pan, making sure to spread them out so they are not on top of each other, but in one even layer scattered throughout the sauce.

3. Cover the pan and cook gently on medium-low heat until egg whites set and yolks are still runny, approximately 3–5 minutes.

4. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer eggs to four bowls for serving, 2 eggs per person. Surround eggs with Arriabbiata sauce.

5. Garnish equally with chili flakes, rosemary leaves, and Pecorino.

Arrabbiata sauce

Yields about 4 cups

2 28-oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes¼ cup olive oil8 whole garlic cloves, plus 3 cloves thinly sliced¼ cup tomato paste1 Tbsp fennel seed1 Tbsp crushed red chili flakes2 Tbsp Calabrian chili paste2 Tbsp kosher salt4 sprigs fresh oregano

1. Drain tomatoes over a small bowl. Reserve juices. Use your hands to break tomatoes into pieces and place them in a bowl. Set both bowls aside.

2. In a large, wide pan over medium-low heat, warm olive oil. Add whole garlic cloves and cook until slightly golden brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant but without color, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook until it becomes a deep, rich color and has absorbed some of the oil, about 4 minutes.

3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, half the reserved tomato juice, fennel seed, and chili flakes and paste. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced slightly, about 45 minutes.

4. Stir in salt and oregano and cook 5 minutes. Remove oregano sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

 — Adapted from “Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner…Life! Recipes and Adventures from My Home Kitchen” by Missy Robbins with Carrie King/Rizzoli Publishing

In partnership with Weight Watchers

Photos: Evan Sung