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The 20 Ina Garten Recipes We Can’t Live Without

published May 2, 2023
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Credit: Jesse Szewczyk

Call on Ina if you need a simple, easy, and accessible solution for a delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, drink, or dessert. She’s also a massive vibe, inspiring the likes of the Coastal Grandmother movement and the dreamy culinary scenes that have become one and the same with Nancy Meyers movies. With thirteen cookbooks to her name (her latest being Go-To Dinners in 2022), along with millions of loyal fans on social media, Ina is widely regarded as one of America’s favorite recipe developers. From a lazy weeknight rigatoni to a sleeper hit weekday lunch, everyone here has a personal Ina Garten fave. 

Here, now, are just some (and really, after years of covering her, we’ve just scratched the surface!) of Ina Garten’s iconic and unsung dishes we’ve either published as formal recipes or written lovingly about to encourage you to make them.

1 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Apple Pie Bars
They're so much easier to make than actual apple pie.
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2 / 25
Ina Garten's Chicken Marbella

If you haven't met Ina Garten's chicken Marbella, allow us to make an introduction. Her take on a classic '80s dinner-party main marinates prunes with vinegar, olives, capers, and garlic for a sweet and briny chicken dinner.

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3 / 25
Ina Garten's Mustard-Roasted Potatoes

This recipe hits upon two of Ina's tried-and-true cooking mantras. First, you've got to use good olive oil — treat your palate to something nice! Secondly, the ingredients get prepped and cooked off on a single sheet pan, which begs the question, how easy was that?

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4 / 25
Ina Garten's Devil's Food Cake

This showstopping chocolate layer cake from Ina Garten’s cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, comes with a make-ahead strategy so you can end your evening on a sweet note, without breaking a sweat.

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5 / 25
Ina Garten's Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ina writes the following in this recipe's headnote: “I’ve wrestled with all kinds of vegetable lasagnas. I love the flavor but the liquid in the vegetables always makes the lasagna watery. To solve the problem, I roasted the vegetables first and didn’t precook the noodles, and the result is a delicious one-dish dinner. Herbed goat cheese, fresh ricotta, mozzarella, basil, and lots of Parmesan make it really satisfying.” Say no more.

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6 / 25
Ina Garten’s Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

Turn roasted zucchini into a stunning and showy side dish by topping it with grated Parm and crispy panko breadcrumbs.

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7 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Coconut Cake

"This was the first recipe I ever baked and I haven’t stopped making it ever since."

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8 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Baked Cod with Garlic & Herb Ritz Crumbs

When there's Ina Garten and Ritz crackers involved, it is bound to be good.

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9 / 25
Ina Garten's Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

Come summer, you'll probably have all the ingredients for this invigorating pasta: tomatoes, arugula, lemon. But the beauty of this recipe is how you can really use any fresh summer vegetables you've got around.

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11 / 25
Ina Garten's Cider-Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Roasted Plum Chutney

Is there anything more enticing than a whole pork tenderloin roasted to (easy) perfection? Turns out, there is: Ina's pork tenderloin soaked overnight in a mixture of apple cider, maple syrup, and warm spices. If you feel tempted to drink the marinade, trust me, you're not alone.

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12 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Spicy Turkey Meatballs

The most perfect turkey meatball doesn't exi ... st. We stand corrected with these ones from Ina.

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13 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Strawberry Country Cake

The sweet, slightly tart strawberries on top perfectly complement the fluffy whipped cream filling, and the brightness of the lemon and orange zests really come through in the light cake. Whether you're a beginner or pro baker, Ina's super-summery cake will never let you down.

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14 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s One-Pot Rigatoni

Sometimes, all you have the energy for is to cook quickly and to eat and dissolve on the couch for the rest of the night. That's when you turn to a giant pot of Ina's rigatoni with sausage and fennel. Beyond the two top billing ingredients, the pasta has a creamy sauce that gets into the holes of the rigatoni and clings to its outer ridges, making every forkful a fulfilling and flawless bite. But wait, there's also white wine in the sauce!

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15 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Chicken in a Pot with Orzo

Talk about an elevated play on a classic! The orzo feels a bit more sophisticated than your typical noodles, the whole chicken imparts a ton of delicious flavor, and saffron makes it feel kinda fancy.

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16 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding

This is one of Ina's most popular desserts and a brownie lover's dream. The top layer is crispy-meets-chewy like edge bits of a brownie. Meanwhile, the middle has the chewy core of a fudge brownie and the bottom is a thick pool of pudding-like sauce.

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17 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten's Cauliflower Toast

This hearty toast — which is a make-ahead dish if you prep a double batch of the cauliflower cheese mixture and stick it in the fridge — is what weekday lunch dreams are made of.

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18 / 25
Ina Garten's Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

Ina's eggplant Parm is cheesy, saucy, crispy-crunchy, and made with roasted eggplant slices instead of fried.

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19 / 25
Ina Garten's Triple Chocolate Loaf Cakes

The fact that Ina managed to create a triple chocolate loaf cake that’s wonderfully light and tender — adorned with a crackly top and walnut -and-chocolate-studded crumb — is a true gift.

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20 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Cheesy Puff Pastry Batons

Besides the shower of Parmesan it gets on top, what’s so special about these batons is what’s hiding inside: Dijon mustard.

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21 / 25
Ina Garten's Chipotle & Rosemary Spiced Nuts

A handful of these herby, salty, sweet, and tangy nuts is as good off the sheet pan minutes after they've baked as is it at happy hour.

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22 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s 3-Ingredient Limoncello
The Barefoot Contessa strikes again with yet another out-of-this-world 3-ingredient dessert.
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23 / 25
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Ina Garten’s Chocolate Pecan Scone

For a scone every member of the family will enjoy, look no further than Ina's recipe. The richness of the bittersweet chocolate plays off the sweet, subtle pecans and makes these scones an inviting and easy breakfast or afternoon snack.

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24 / 25
Credit: Kitchn
Ina Garten’s Crusty Baked Potatoes with Whipped Feta Cheese
“I now see myself making this more often than I expected!”
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25 / 25
Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake

This moist and citrusy loaf cake doesn't require a stand mixer (a tool called for in most of Ina's cake recipes), so you can easily pull it off on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

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This post was originally published on Kitchn. Read it there: The 20 Ina Garten Recipes We Can’t Live Without