Toast, toast, how I love thee most.

Sometimes all you need is summer squash, fresh pesto and a poached egg to make everything better. The original recipe called for grilling the squash, but my apartment building doesn’t have a grill so I improvised and roasted them in the oven.

While the squash was baking, I made some fresh pesto with Parmesan, basil leaves, Olive Oil, pine nuts and a little lemon juice (the lemon juice is not traditional, but it gives it a little kick).

Then, I poached an egg (a favorite pastime) and layered it on top of mountains of squash tossed in pesto.

I have Atwater’s to thank for the foundation of the sandwich. If you live in the D.C./Baltimore area and you haven’t tried their bread, I would highly recommend it. I bought a loaf of sunflower flax from the farmer’s market this morning and it was the perfect amount of chewy and crusty.

Here’s the original recipe, in case you want to try it out (from Naturally Ella):

Pesto Summer Squash Bruschetta with Poached Eggs

Serves: 2 servings

Squash
1 medium summer squash
¼ small red onion, minced
½ tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pesto
2 cloves garlic
1½ cups packed basil leaves, plus extra for topping
⅓ cup parmesan cheese (look for cheese that uses vegetarian rennet)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 pieces of toast
2 large eggs, poached
1 to 2 ounces feta

To make the squash, light the grill to medium-light heat. Slice the squash into ½ slices. Brush the squash and onions with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side until charred. Remove from grill, let cool slightly, cut the squash into cubes, and dice onion.
To make pesto: In a food processor, pulse the garlic. Add the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse until well combined, adding more liquid (olive oil/lemon juice) as needed to thin the consistency. Toss the grilled squash mixture with ¼ cup of the pesto.
Divide the squash mixture over the two pieces of toast. Finish with the poached egg, feta, and a sprinkle of basil.