11 Ina Garten Recipes You Can Make With 5 Ingredients or Less

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There’s truly something magical about the way Ina Garten makes cooking look effortless. While the rest of us are frantically juggling fifteen ingredients and wondering why our kitchen looks like a tornado passed through, the Barefoot Contessa is over there creating restaurant-quality dishes with just a handful of pantry staples and a few fresh additions. It’s honestly a little unfair that she makes entertaining look so easy, but also inspiring for those of us who want to eat well without turning dinner prep into a three-hour ordeal.

The beauty of Ina’s approach lies in her philosophy that good cooking doesn’t have to be fussy or require complexity; it just requires quality ingredients and a little bit of kitchen confidence. She is the queen of taking something simple like butter, lemon, and herbs, and transforming it into something that tastes like you spent a full day in the kitchen. Her three- or five-ingredient wonders prove you don’t need a grocery cart full of exotic ingredients or a pantry that looks like a gourmet food store to create meals that’ll make your family think you’ve been taking secret culinary classes.

So grab your apron and prepare to feel a little bit more like the entertaining queen herself with these simple yet sophisticated recipes that prove less really can be more.

Note: When selecting recipes, we didn’t count salt, pepper, olive oil, or garlic as ingredients, as those are common pantry staples.