Tips & Tricks: Spinach Italiano
In a kitchen drawer among the pens and pencils there’s a little book. It’s handwritten and a little worn; a very unassuming thing. Yet it’s cherished by my entire family because of what’s inside – recipes that have been passed on from generation to generation.
In this little book we find Spinach Italiano, a recipe my grandmother found it in a long-forgotten publication while she lived in Ventura sixty years ago. I think it’s a fantastic dish and I hope you love it too.
What You’ll Need
2 Lbs. of Fresh Spinach
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne (1/4 for More Spice)
1/2 Cup of Raisins
1/2 Cup of Pine Nuts
Parmesan
Let’s Get Cooking!
– Step 1 –
Sauté the minced garlic, salt and cayenne in the olive oil for about thirty seconds.
– Step 2 –
Add the pine nuts and raisins and sauté for two more minutes.
– Step 3 –
Set a large pot of water to boil.
– Step 4 –
Plunge your spinach into the pot and then immediately remove it (Pouring it into a colander is the best way to do this).
– Step 5 –
Lightly dry the spinach and lay it in a baking dish.
– Step 6 –
Sprinkle your sautéd garlic, pine nuts and raisins across the spinach and sprinkle Parmesan on top.
– Step 7 –
Broil the dish until the Parmesan is a golden brown.
Thanks to Sandra Reese for preserving this recipe, my grandmother for finding it, and an unknown chef for sharing it in the first place. Thanks to Lynne Rossetto for a handy tip on sauté times.
