I’ve been tasked with developing an Easter Sunday recipe.

I immediately thought about the big spectacle — the ham dinner —but really, by now, how many ham dinners have you made in your lifetime? That’s old news.

Instead, I’ve taken the brunch approach. If you’re new to my column, you should know that I have never met a brunch I didn’t like. If you’re an avid reader or adoring fan — I have a few, okay; they do exist — you’ll know I’m all about that brunch life.

Don’t worry, I’ve still found a way to wave some pork into the mix, all the while inserting some of my trusted Italian influence in my take on a brunch classic: eggs Benedict.

With just a few simple swaps, eggs Benedict can be made in Italian fashion. Switch the English muffin for garlic-rubbed crostini, use silky, cured prosciutto in place of Canadian bacon and add a dollop of pesto into traditional Hollandaise sauce — all accompanying perfectly poached eggs — and you’ve got a decadent brunch in just a few simple steps.

In truth, the only daunting task here may be making the Hollandaise sauce but, if you have a blender, it’s no more difficult than making a smoothie. No more are the days of stirring and tempering egg yolks and butter over the stove top; homemade Hollandaise takes seconds to make in a blender, with far easier cleanup.

And don’t freak out about poaching the eggs. My trick is to strain the eggs through a fine-mesh sieve to remove excess egg whites that might break apart in the simmering water. The whites directly around the yolk will remain and wrap around the yolk, making for a beautifully-poached egg — and cleanup will be a breeze.

And when you pop that sexy yolk? There are no words.

And while you can certainly prepare that ham dinner for your guests, nothing screams “Sunday,” or “day of rest” quite like an indulgent brunch. So with mimosas overfloweth, I wish you and your families all a Happy Easter.

And, as always, brunch on, my darlings.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.

Italian-inspired eggs Benedict with pesto Hollandaise
Start-to-finish: 30 minutes (30 minutes active)
Serves: 2

For the pesto Hollandaise:
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
Pinch Kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

For the Benedict:
2 thick slices of crusty bread, halved
1 large garlic clove, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
4 slices prosciutto
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice or vinegar, for poaching
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped basil, for serving
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Prepare the Hollandaise. Melt the butter with the pesto, either in a small saucepan or in the microwave, until foamy. In blender, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and water and blend until light in color and doubled in size. With the blender running, slowly stream the butter and pesto mixture into the egg yolk mixture through the opening in the top. When the butter is fully incorporated, remove the lid and add the salt, pepper, chile flakes and thyme leaves and pulse to combine.

Pour Hollandaise sauce into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, set directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside at room temperature.

Toast the bread, either in a toaster oven or under a broiler, until brown and crunchy. Remove from the heat and rub all over on both sides with the cut garlic clove, starting at the edges to break down the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and set two halves of bread per person on plates and top each with a slice of prosciutto.

Poach the eggs by bringing a large saucepan of salted water to a high simmer. Add a splash of lemon juice or white vinegar to help coagulate the egg whites. Crack eggs, one at a time, into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove excess whites. Keep eggs in individual bowls until ready to poach.

When ready to poach, use a wooden spoon to make a whirlpool in the water, then gently slide one egg at a time into the center of the vortex. One the egg whites begin to gather around the yolk and set, you may add another egg.

Remove with a slotted spoon once the eggs whites are done but the yolk is still runny inside. Place one egg on each toast half and pour Hollandaise over the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with freshly-chopped basil and grated parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately, ideally with a mimosa or two.