Spinach Piedmontese Style

From the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, this is spinach at its most elegant and restrained.

Butter gets browned in a skillet until it smells nutty and turns golden, then anchovy fillets and garlic go in and melt into the fat, creating a savory base that’s salty, rich, and deeply flavorful.

Well-drained spinach joins the pan for a quick toss, soaking up all that goodness in just a few minutes.

Five ingredients. Twenty minutes. This is Italian cooking at its finest, where technique and quality matter more than a long ingredient list.

Kitchen Tips

• Brown the butter until it smells like toasted nuts and turns amber. This is beurre noisette, and it adds a depth that plain melted butter can’t touch.
• Don’t be afraid of the anchovies. They dissolve completely into the butter and add umami richness without any fishiness.
• Drain the cooked spinach thoroughly. Water in the pan will stop the browning and dilute all those concentrated flavors.
• Serve immediately. This dish is best straight from the skillet while the butter is still sizzling.