Famous thanks to the character of Popeye, spinach has always been present on all Italian tables. Cooked or raw they are one of the most versatile vegetables
It's spring and it's time to to cook spinach. You find them on the shelves of supermarkets or on the market stalls with clumps, often still dirty with earth, with thick, elastic leaves and a dark green color. They are one of the richest vegetables in iron (although not as assimilable as one might think), vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and are low in calories. Spinach is a very popular vegetable on the tables of northern Italy, they are very versatile and are suitable for preparing soups, risottos, savory pies, stuffed for meat, side dishes or to flavor and color flour dough.
Spinach in the kitchen
Spinach is eaten boiled, steamed or raw in salads. The best way to preserve all their nutritional qualities is to consume them raw or steamed. If you prefer to boil them, toss them in plenty of salted water and let them cook for 8-10 minutes, then drain them, put them in cold water to stop cooking, squeeze them and sauté them in a pan with a little oil and a clove of garlic. If you want to use them for a salad, choose the baby spinach, with smaller and tender leaves, of an intense color. You can season them with a vinaigrette or with a chopped hard-boiled egg. You can also add bean sprouts, chopped walnuts, pine nuts and cannellini beans.
How they are preserved
Spinach is sold fresh or frozen. Fresh ones should be eaten immediately after purchase, because in a short time they become floppy and poorer in taste. If you use frozen foods, let them boil for a few minutes in plenty of salted water before cooking them. If you want you can stock up on fresh spinach, clean them, boil them and then store them in single-dose bags in the freezer. They will remain for at least a month.
Here are some recipes of La Cucina Italiana for cooking spinach
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