Chef Graziella
Asparagi al Forno con Parmigiano
Roasted asparagus finished with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano from the same region that grows the best spears. Four ingredients. No complications. Nothing to hide behind.
Culinary Explorer
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Spinaci Saltati all'Aglio
Created by
Fresh spinach, sliced garlic, good olive oil. Three minutes in a hot pan. This is the Italian vegetable course at its most honest: no technique hidden behind sauce, no inferior ingredient masked by seasoning.
Side Dishes
Italian
Weeknight
Quick Meal
10 min
Active Time
5 min cook•15 min total
Yield4 servings
There is nothing to this dish. That is the point. Spinach cooked this way appears on Italian tables several times a week, eaten alongside roasted meat or grilled fish. It is not fancy. It requires no skill beyond knowing when to stop cooking. And yet most people get it wrong.
They add too much garlic, or they burn it. They cook the spinach until it turns drab and sulphurous. They drown it in oil or forget the salt. Simple does not mean careless.
The garlic here must be sliced, not minced, not pressed. Sliced garlic mellows in the oil. It becomes sweet and nutty. Pressed garlic turns bitter and acrid, overwhelming everything it touches. This is the single greatest cause of failure in would-be Italian cooking: the misuse of garlic. Learn to slice it thin, toast it gently, and know when to add the greens before it burns.
Sautéed greens with garlic predate any written recipe, appearing wherever olive oil, garlic, and leafy vegetables grow. In Rome, this preparation is called spinaci ripassati; in Naples, the same technique applies to friarielli and other bitter greens. The method itself is as old as the Mediterranean kitchen.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh spinach
Quantity
2 pounds
stems trimmed
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup
garlic cloves
Quantity
3
sliced thin
red pepper flakes (optional)
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
lemon wedges
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh spinachstems trimmed | 2 pounds |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup |
| garlic clovessliced thin | 3 |
| red pepper flakes (optional) | 1/4 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| lemon wedges | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Large skillet or sauté pan (12-14 inches)
- •Tongs or two wooden spoons
Instructions
- 1
Wash the spinach
Fill your sink or a large basin with cold water. Submerge the spinach and swirl it vigorously. Lift the spinach out, let the water drain, and repeat until no grit settles at the bottom. This takes three or four changes of water for most spinach. Do not skip this step. Nothing ruins sautéed greens faster than sand between your teeth.
Baby spinach from a bag is often pre-washed. Taste a leaf. If it crunches with grit, wash it anyway. - 2
Prepare the garlic
Slice the garlic cloves as thin as you can manage. Translucent is what you want. The garlic will cook quickly this way and distribute its flavor throughout the oil. Do not mince. Do not use a press. A garlic press crushes the cells and releases harsh, acrid compounds. Sliced garlic is gentle. Pressed garlic is aggressive.
- 3
Toast the garlic in oil
Place the olive oil and sliced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Let them warm together. Watch the garlic carefully. When it begins to sizzle and turn pale gold at the edges, you have perhaps 30 seconds before it burns. The moment it turns golden, you proceed. If it browns, start over with fresh garlic. Burnt garlic is bitter and will poison the entire dish.
Add the red pepper flakes with the garlic if you want gentle heat. They will bloom in the warm oil, releasing their fragrance without becoming harsh. - 4
Wilt the spinach
Add the spinach to the pan all at once. It will seem impossible that it will fit. It will fit. The leaves are mostly water and air. Toss the spinach with tongs or two wooden spoons, coating the leaves with the garlicky oil. The spinach wilts in two to three minutes, collapsing to a fraction of its original volume. Season with salt as you toss.
- 5
Finish and serve
The spinach is done when fully wilted but still bright green. Overcooked spinach turns army green and tastes of iron. Remove from heat the moment it yields. Transfer to a warm serving dish, letting excess liquid stay behind in the pan. Serve immediately with lemon wedges at the table. The squeeze of lemon is not mandatory, but it is welcome.
Chef Tips
- •Two pounds of fresh spinach looks like enough for an army. It cooks down to four modest servings. Do not be alarmed by the volume.
- •Mature spinach with stems holds up better than baby spinach, which can turn to mush. If using baby spinach, cook it even more briefly.
- •The liquid that pools in the pan is flavorful but makes the dish soggy. Leave it behind when you plate. Some cooks squeeze the cooked spinach gently before serving.
Advance Preparation
- •Spinach can be washed and dried up to two days ahead, stored loosely in a kitchen towel in the refrigerator.
- •This dish does not hold or reheat well. Cook it just before serving. It takes five minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 80g)
Calories
165 calories
Total Fat
13 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
10 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
480 mg
Total Carbohydrates
9 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
7 g
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