Change Up Your Usual Scrambled Eggs With This Oil Swap For 10X The Flavor

Many people rave about scrambling eggs in Italian olive oil, leftover bacon fat, or salted French butter for the best taste, but the truth is that those luxurious products add only minor notes of flavor to the dish. Even using a flavored oil, like garlic or chive, will lend your eggs just a touch of extra flavor. If you're tired of eating the same one-note eggs for breakfast, try scrambling your eggs with bright, flavor-packed pesto instead of oil or butter. 

By swapping cooking oil for pesto, you're not only getting enough fat to successfully scramble the eggs in, but you're also getting incredible aromatic notes of fresh basil, sharp garlic, and toasted pine nuts, as well as more salt and umami flavor from the parmesan. The consistency of pesto allows it to melt into the eggs as they cook while still retaining a bit of body and visibility, giving scrambled eggs a delightful green swirl. Depending on how smooth or coarse your pesto is, you may even find that the pesto adds a bit more texture to the eggs, too. Use your own homemade pesto, or save time and buy a high-quality store-bought pesto.

Whisk two or three eggs in a small bowl and season lightly with salt (keep in mind that pesto uses salty parmesan cheese and usually has added salt, too). Gently heat a tablespoon or two of pesto in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until it begins to spread. From there, pour your whisked eggs into the pan and begin to stir the melted pesto into the eggs. Finish cooking your scrambled eggs using whatever method you like; low and slow for a softer scramble or hot and fast for larger, set curds.

If you prefer fried or sunny-side up eggs over scrambled, you're in luck, as swapping oil for pesto works just as well with fried eggs. Use a generous scoop of pesto and begin in the same way you would with scrambled eggs by melting the pesto over medium-low heat in a nonstick skillet. Once the pesto has melted, crank the heat up to medium or medium-high and then crack two eggs directly on top of the hot pesto (or three eggs if your pan is large enough). Season the eggs with salt and then cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cook until the yolks are set to your preference, then use a rubber or silicone spatula to lift the cooked eggs out of the pan and slide them onto your plate. Top the pesto-fried eggs with a pinch of flaky salt and serve alongside toasted sourdough for a filling breakfast.