Have you
ever cooked something that was so good that you couldn't wait to tell
the whole world?
Me neither. But this dish is so good, I gotta share it with yous guys.
Now, I know this sounds like a lot of spinach, but after it cooks, you'll
be amazed at how much it reduces. Spinach is also a pain in the ass. You
gotta clean it real good. My Uncle Oscar snips off the stems, too, which
is also a pain. But this dish is well worth it.
Ingredients:
3 9-ounce bags of fresh spinach - Hint! Use baby spinach. It's easier
to clean and has way less grit
and
sand, and shorter stems than grown-up spinach.
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli)
1/2 cup (or more!) chopped shallots
1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
salt and pepper
Put some extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of a big pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shallots. Cook until translucent. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and stir. When that batch has reduced, add more spinach and cook. Keep adding and reducing until you've used all the spinach, and it's all cooked.
Add some crushed red pepper and some salt (I use Kosher salt).
Add the golden raisins, then add the toasted pine nuts. (How to toast the pine nuts? Don't put them in the toaster. Put them in a small dry pan over medium high heat, and toast and toss, toast and toss until golden.) Don't burn your nuts! Add salt and pepper to taste.