I tried Ina Garten's recipe for the 'most delicious scrambled eggs ever.' Now it's one of my favorite breakfasts.

11 hours ago 10

I've been slowly making my way through Ina Garten's breakfast recipes, trying everything from her blueberry-ricotta cake to her banana pancakes.

As I turned the pages of Garten's cookbook "Go-To Dinners," I was delighted to see a recipe for "scrambled eggs cacio e pepe," inspired by the traditional Roman pasta. I was even more intrigued when she said they make the "most delicious scrambled eggs ever."

"Eggs are always my go-to breakfast for dinner because they're substantial without being heavy, but I like to dress them up, like adding spicy Italian pecorino cheese and pepper," Garten writes.

I'm also a huge fan of Garten's pasta dishes (I've made over a dozen — and ranked them!), so I knew I had to try this.

Garten's twist on scrambled eggs only needs a few ingredients.

Ingredients for Ina Garten's cacio e pepe eggs

To make 4-5 servings of Garten's cacio e pepe eggs, you'll need:

12 extra-large eggs
1 cup of whole milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) of unsalted butter, quartered
⅔ cup of freshly grated Italian pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving
4-5 slices of country bread, toasted
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

First, I cracked the eggs into a bowl.

Cracking the eggs for Ina Garten's cacio e pepe eggs

Garten recommends seasoning the eggs with 2 teaspoons of salt.

Since I was only making breakfast for three people, I halved the recipe and added 1 teaspoon of salt to my eggs instead.

Then I added the whole milk.

Making the mixture for Ina Garten's cacio e pepe eggs

I gave everything a quick whisk and, just like that, my egg mixture was ready.

I placed my butter in a cold, large pan.

Melting butter for Ina Garten's cacio e pepe eggs

I then placed the pan over medium-low heat and allowed the butter to melt almost completely.

Then I added the eggs.

Garten says you should cook the eggs on medium-low for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula.

If, like me, you decide to cut the recipe in half, the cooking time will be shorter. Just keep an eye on the texture of the eggs — you'll know when it's time for the next step.

I popped my bread into the toaster while my eggs were cooking.

Toasting bread for Ina Garten's cacio e pepe eggs

Nothing beats the combo of creamy eggs on crunchy toast.

As the eggs began to clump, I started stirring more rapidly.

Curds for Ina Garten's cacio e pepe eggs

I made sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as I stirred.

When the eggs were almost cooked, I turned off the heat.

I continued to stir the eggs rapidly until they were soft and custardy. It took me about eight minutes total to cook the eggs.

"When you pull the spatula through the eggs, they will still be soft, but they will stay in place," Garten writes in her cookbook.

I sprinkled cheese over my eggs and seasoned them with some freshly ground black pepper.

My eggs looked silky, golden, and creamy — the three things I always want in a great scramble. I was so excited to dig in.

I spooned the eggs over toasted bread and served them hot with extra cheese.

Garten's scrambled eggs cacio e pepe are deliciously indulgent. I loved the salty sharpness from the pecorino, which also made them cheesy and creamy. The fantastic texture was similar to the eggs I made using Gordon Ramsay's and Martha Stewart's methods, but took less work.

I tried this recipe while visiting my parents, and they both loved it. My dad also had the great idea of pairing the eggs with toast and jam. We used plum preserve, which worked well with the flavor, cutting through the salty pecorino with a delicious hit of sweetness.

I could easily eat these eggs for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Anneta Konstantinides is a lifestyle correspondent at Business Insider, with a focus on food and travel. She loves taking readers inside Michelin-starred kitchens and exploring the world of fine-dining, and she's always trying to find the best Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay recipes. Her second home is LAX, where she's often catching a flight and reviewing airlines.Anneta has also been reporting on the pageant industry for the last six years and has interviewed every Miss USA and Miss Universe winner since 2019. She was a finalist at the LA Press Club Awards for her investigation into the 2022 Miss USA scandal and was featured in The New York Times Presents episode "How to Fix a Pageant" on Hulu in September 2023. After graduating from UCLA with a B.A in English Literature and a minor in film & television, Anneta worked as a journalist in London, Sydney, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. You can reach Anneta at [email protected].