The Italian Ingredient To Use For Even Fluffier Scrambled Eggs

For a dish so simple, scrambled eggs inspire a surprising amount of debate. It all comes down to what other ingredients you should add beyond the main attraction: milk or water? Some argue for whisking in a splash of milk or cream, saying it promotes, well, creaminess. Others claim water is best because it makes eggs fluffier.

What if we told you, though, that the answer to this perennial question is... neither. Instead, for peerlessly fluffy and creamy eggs, add ricotta, a fresh Italian cheese with a ton of uses in the kitchen. Slightly salty with a mild, milky flavor, ricotta adds a luscious mouthfeel to scrambled eggs — not to mention a protein boost.

While some cooks whisk ricotta into their eggs before cooking, most prefer to add it afterwards, just after the eggs have set, when it can increase the creaminess and fluffiness without interfering with the cooking process. (If you need a general refresher, here's a collection of 14 chefs' best techniques for making scrambled eggs.) That's really all there is to it. Incorporate 1 or 2 tablespoons of ricotta per egg (depending on your taste), and gently fold in the cheese after you've removed it from the heat. Don't worry if a few larger ricotta pieces remain. Toast some bread, fry some bacon, slice a little fruit — now that's a breakfast! However, it's not the only way ricotta cheese can help you start your day.

Ricotta cheese isn't just delicious. Like cottage cheese, it's a relatively low-calorie source of protein. It's also lower in sodium than cottage cheese and provides important nutrients like potassium and magnesium, making a welcome addition to the breakfast table.

Take for example ricotta toast, basically just a big swirl of soft cheese atop good bread. It can be savory or sweet. For the former, drizzle the cheese with a bit of olive oil, then sprinkle with soft fresh herbs such as basil and parsley and salt and pepper, or add some punchier spices like sumac or cumin. You could also top it with chopped cherry tomatoes or other veggies. For a sweeter option, drizzle the cheese with honey or maple syrup, then add sliced bananas, pears, figs, or other fresh fruits — or dried fruits like apricots or cherries. For a textural contrast, finish with a handful of chopped nuts.

Ricotta also adds a lovely richness to pancakes. You can put a dollop of it in place of yogurt atop a steaming bowl of oatmeal, or skip the oats altogether and assemble a ricotta breakfast bowl made with a hearty spoonful of soft cheese drizzled with honey or syrup and topped with fresh fruit and a handful of granola. You can even put ricotta in a fruit smoothie.