The sautéed spinach is a classic and versatile side dish, perfect for accompanying a wide variety of dishes. They pair excellently with roasts, stews, and grilled meats, but they are also great beside egg or fish-based dishes, such as salmon, with which they create a particularly delicious combination. In this recipe, healthy and quick, there’s no need to boil the spinach: simple pan-cooking is more than enough to get tender and flavorful spinach, preserving their valuable nutrients. Besides being a practical side dish, sautéed spinach can become the ideal base for many other appetizing dishes, like the savory ricotta and spinach pie, the spinach meatloaf, or the chicken and spinach cutlets. In this recipe, I cooked the spinach in a mix of oil and butter, as I find that the latter slightly sweetens the metallic taste of spinach; however, if you prefer, you can use just oil.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 135.30 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 9.18 (g) of which sugars 1.10 (g)
- Proteins 7.18 (g)
- Fat 9.78 (g) of which saturated 3.52 (g)of which unsaturated 1.90 (g)
- Fibers 5.49 (g)
- Sodium 293.75 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 142 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Sautéed Spinach
- 2.2 lbs spinach
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter (or 2 more tablespoons of oil)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Pan large sauté pan with lid
- 1 Tongs
How to Cook Spinach in a Pan
To prepare sautéed spinach, start by washing the spinach well under running water (1). Drain them well, but do not dry them, as they will cook better. In a large pan, melt the butter in the oil and add a peeled garlic clove (2). Let it gently brown, then add the spinach and a pinch of salt (3).
Cover with a lid – pressing them down a bit if necessary to fit all in the pan – and cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat (4), just enough time to wilt the spinach. Then remove the lid (5) and continue cooking uncovered, stirring the spinach often, for about 5 minutes until they are tender (6).
Drain and serve the sautéed spinach immediately, or use them as a base for other recipes.
Storage
You can store the spinach in the fridge, sealed in a glass jar, for 4 days. When ready to eat, you can quickly reheat them in a pan or in the microwave.
Tips and Variations
If they seem too watery after cooking, instead of overcooking the spinach, you can drain them, place them on a plate, and slightly squeeze them by laying another similar plate on top.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes, you can also use frozen spinach after completely thawing them in the refrigerator.
