Scrambled eggs seem simple. However, almost every celebrity chef has a personal trick for making them better. Now, Ina Garten has revealed hers, and it comes straight from the Italian pantry.

The “Barefoot Contessa” star says ricotta cheese is the key to truly creamy scrambled eggs. As a result, her version turns an everyday breakfast into something that feels far more special.

Why Ricotta Works So Well in Scrambled Eggs

Garten recently explained that the way you cook eggs matters just as much as what you add to them. In particular, she cooks her eggs over very low heat. Then she stirs in ricotta to add richness and a little extra texture.

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According to Garten, the result is completely different from standard scrambled eggs. In her words, “It’s like a custard rather than scrambled eggs.”

That custard-like texture comes from two things working together. First, gentle heat keeps the eggs from turning firm or rubbery. Second, the ricotta adds moisture and a mild, milky flavor. Small curds of cheese also stay visible in the finished dish, which gives each bite a pleasant softness.

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Furthermore, ricotta is easy to find and affordable. Most home cooks can pick up a tub at any grocery store. So this upgrade does not require special skills or expensive ingredients.

How Ina Garten Makes Her Ricotta Scrambled Eggs

Garten’s recipe is adapted from her cookbook “Simply Ina.” It serves four people and uses a short list of basic ingredients:

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• Eggs
• Milk
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Ricotta cheese
• Salt and pepper

The method is just as straightforward. To begin, she whisks the eggs with milk, salt and pepper. Next, she warms butter and olive oil together in a pan over medium-low heat.

After that, she pours in the eggs and lets them set for a moment around the edges. Once they begin to firm up, she stirs constantly. Meanwhile, the ricotta gets folded in as the eggs cook. She keeps stirring until the eggs are soft, glossy and custardy.

The butter and olive oil combination is worth noting, too. Butter brings flavor, while olive oil helps prevent the butter from browning too quickly. Together, they create a smooth base for slow cooking.

Fresh Herbs Add the Finishing Touch

Garten also likes to add whatever herbs she has in the kitchen. Chives are her go-to choice for this dish.

Chives work especially well because their mild onion flavor does not overpower the eggs. In addition, their bright green color makes the plate look more inviting. Still, parsley, dill or basil would also pair nicely with ricotta.

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The Best Way to Serve Them

Instead of serving the eggs alone, Garten piles them onto buttered toast. Then she tops everything with chives, grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

This combination balances several flavors at once. For example, the Parmesan adds a salty, nutty depth. Meanwhile, the red pepper flakes bring gentle heat that cuts through the creamy eggs. The toast, of course, adds crunch.

Overall, it is an easy way to make a weekday breakfast feel like a weekend brunch.

How Garten’s Method Compares to Other Celebrity Chefs

Garten is far from the only chef with a signature scrambled egg trick. Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay, for instance, both like to add crème fraîche. Alton Brown, on the other hand, takes an unusual route with mayonnaise and extra egg yolks.

Interestingly, Garten and Ramsay share one important principle. Both rely on gentle cooking to keep the eggs tender. Even so, they use their dairy in very different ways.

Ramsay adds cold crème fraîche at the very end. That step stops the cooking and adds a final burst of richness. Garten, by contrast, mixes the ricotta in while the eggs are still cooking. Consequently, her eggs end up with a slightly thicker texture and tiny pockets of cheese.

Neither approach is wrong. Instead, each one simply reflects a different idea of what perfect scrambled eggs should be.

More Easy Kitchen Tips From Ina Garten

Garten’s practical cooking advice goes beyond breakfast. For instance, she has a quick fix when guests arrive with little warning.

She calls it her “emergency” blue cheese dip. It needs only two ingredients: blue cheese and mayonnaise. She then serves it with any vegetables she already has in the fridge. Additionally, she keeps simple snacks such as potato chips, olives, salami and sliced cucumbers on hand for easy entertaining.

Dessert gets the same relaxed treatment. Rather than baking from scratch, Garten sometimes buys a cheesecake from a good local bakery. After that, she makes a fast raspberry sauce to spoon over the top. In her view, guests rarely notice, and the host gets to enjoy the evening too.

Garten now shares more of these cooking and hosting ideas on her new video podcast, “Happy Hour With Ina Garten.” She films the show from her apartment in Manhattan.

Ina Garten’s secret proves that small changes can make a big difference. By cooking eggs slowly and folding in ricotta, she creates a breakfast that is rich, soft and almost custard-like. Best of all, anyone can try it at home with ingredients that are easy to find.

So the next time you reach for the egg carton, consider grabbing the ricotta, too.