Spinach Delight
Submitted by ruckinfight
Buttery sauteed spinach with pine nuts, plumped raisins, garlic, and a pinch of nutmeg. A Sicilian-inspired side dish that turns simple greens into something extraordinary.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minThis is spinach alla Siciliana at heart: that classic sweet-and-savory combination of pine nuts and raisins that transforms plain greens into something you could eat by the bowlful.
Two pounds of fresh spinach get cooked down, squeezed dry, then slowly stirred with softened butter, garlic, nutmeg, and plenty of black pepper until everything is glossy and fragrant.
The raisins get plumped in hot water first so they’re juicy and sweet, and the pine nuts add a rich, buttery crunch in every bite.
Add a cup of chopped smoked ham if you want to turn this side into a more substantial dish.
Pro Tips
- Squeeze the cooked spinach thoroughly. You want it as dry as possible so it absorbs the butter and seasonings instead of steaming in its own water.
- Keep the heat very low when stirring in the butter. You’re melting and coating, not frying.
- Soak the raisins in hot water for a full 5 minutes. Dry raisins are chewy and distracting; plumped ones burst with sweetness.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan before adding them for an even deeper, nuttier flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook spinach about 5 minutes in a heavy enameled pot.
After squeezing thoroughly to rid of as much water as possible, chop it coarsely and put into enameled saucepan with the softened butter and other seasonings.
Stir over very low heat until butter is almost absorbed.
Add small clove of garlic, crushed in garlic press, ½ cup pine nuts, ½ cup seeded raisins (softened 5 minutes in hot water).
Cover and cook over very low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Turn into a hot vegetable dish.
A cup of chopped, smoked ham may be added if desired.
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