Years ago, when I was in graduate school, I spent a wonderful summer in Chieti, a city in the Abruzzi region of central Italy, leading a group of high-school students. I lived with a local family, the patriarch of which we called Signor Franchi. Every day we sat down for an enormous lunch. When the pasta came out—a big bowl of it, before the main course—a hush would fall over the room. We would wait for Signor Franchi to take the first bite. He would taste it, checking to make sure it was perfectly cooked, al dente. It almost always was. Then he would shoot a smile at his wife, and we would all dig in.
Spinach With Pine Nuts and Raisins
June 21, 2021
Ingredients
- 2 ½pounds spinach
- 2to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2small yellow onions or 6 green onions, minced
- 4tablespoons raisins, plumped in hot water and drained
- 4tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
From Joyce Goldstein’s Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen
- Step 1
Rinse the spinach well and remove the stems. Place in a large sauté pan with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves. Cook over medium heat, turning as needed until wilted, just a few minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- Step 2
Add the olive oil to the now-empty pan and place over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach, raisins, and pine nuts and sauté briefly to warm through. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.