Ina Garten’s trick for creamy scrambled eggs: ricotta cheese

Ina Garten says the secret to turning ordinary scrambled eggs into something closer to a custard is a scoop of ricotta cheese.

The “Barefoot Contessa” star told the Wall Street Journal that cooking technique matters as much as ingredients. “If you cook them at a very low heat and add ricotta to give it creaminess and a little texture, it’s just a whole other thing,” Garten said. “It’s like a custard rather than scrambled eggs.”

She also recommends tossing in whatever fresh herbs are on hand. “I put chives in it,” she said.

Garten’s approach shares a philosophy with other celebrity chefs who swear by dairy additions for softer eggs. Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay both favor a spoonful of crème fraîche, while Alton Brown takes a different route, mixing in mayonnaise and extra egg yolks. Ramsay stirs his crème fraîche in cold at the end to halt the cooking and add richness; Garten instead folds the ricotta in while the eggs are still cooking, leaving small curds visible throughout.

The recipe

Garten’s version, adapted from her cookbook “Simply Ina,” serves four and uses eggs, milk, butter, olive oil and ricotta. She warms the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat, then adds eggs whisked with milk, salt and pepper. The eggs are left to set briefly at the edges before being stirred constantly until soft and custardy.

She suggests serving them over buttered toast topped with chives, Parmesan and red pepper flakes.

More easy entertaining tips

Garten shared a few other shortcuts for home cooks looking to keep things simple. For a quick appetizer, she makes what she calls an “emergency blue-cheese dip” from blue cheese and mayonnaise, served alongside whatever vegetables are in the fridge. Potato chips, olives, salami and cucumber slices also make her rotation of easy snacks.

For dessert, she often buys a cheesecake from a bakery and dresses it up with a quick homemade raspberry sauce. “Nobody will ever know,” she told the Journal. “You’re relaxed. The dessert is delicious. Everybody has a good time.”

Garten discusses more of her food and entertaining philosophy on her new video podcast, “Happy Hour With Ina Garten,” filmed in her Manhattan apartment.