Tastes of Home: Attempting My Mom’s Shakshuka Recipe in Florence

By Aristotle Van Frank

I’ll admit it—I caved. Living in Florence has been a dream, especially for anyone who loves food as much as I do. But after weeks of craving my mom’s shakshuka, I finally took matters into my own hands and decided to try making it myself. I figured, how hard could it be to throw together a dish I’ve watched her make countless times? I had all the right ingredients, and I knew the steps almost by heart. But, as it turns out, there’s some secret magic in her version that I just couldn’t quite capture.

Shakshuka is such a sensory experience—the fragrant spices, the warmth of the sauce, the creamy yolks of the eggs blending into the richness of the tomatoes. Even as I followed each step exactly as she would, I still felt like something was missing. I kept adjusting the spices and tasting, trying to balance the flavors, but it’s like my taste buds were waiting for something I couldn’t quite name. Maybe it’s just that cooking for yourself never feels quite like the warmth of eating something made by someone you love, or maybe my mom’s years of tweaking the recipe have made hers into something almost impossible to replicate.

But I’ll tell you one thing: even if my version isn’t the same, there’s something deeply comforting about the process itself. Watching the onions and bell peppers turn golden, smelling the garlic as it hits the pan, crushing the San Marzano tomatoes to release all that tart-sweet flavor—all of it took me right back to my mom’s kitchen. Even as I fumbled to get it exactly right, I felt closer to home with each step.

If you’re craving shakshuka or just curious to try it out, here’s the recipe I used. This is about as close as I could get to my mom’s masterpiece, though I’d encourage you to tweak it as you see fit—just like she does.

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding enough to coat the bottom. Add the bell pepper and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re golden and soft.
2. Add the garlic and zucchini to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes, letting the garlic release its fragrance and the zucchini soften slightly.
3. Add the spice mix to the skillet, stirring it in with the vegetables. Let the spices bloom for a few seconds, releasing their aromas and deepening their flavors.
4. Pour in the San Marzano tomatoes, crushing them with a spatula or spoon if they’re whole. Mix everything thoroughly to combine.
5. Let the sauce simmer on medium heat for at least 5 minutes, ideally covered, to let the flavors deepen and meld. If you can, let it go a bit longer for a richer flavor.
6. Once the sauce has reached a good consistency, create little wells in the sauce for each egg and crack the eggs directly into the skillet. Cover again and let the eggs cook to your preferred doneness—soft and runny, or a bit more set if that’s what you like.
7. Serve immediately, ideally with a drizzle of olive oil and maybe a little extra salt or even a dollop of olive tapenade for an added punch.