TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Spinaci al Burro e ParmigianoSpinach with Butter and Parmigiano
A classic northern Italian contorno: briefly boiled spinach sautéed in butter and finished with Parmigiano and nutmeg.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- SpinachTrim off the roots and wash thoroughly.800 g
- Butter40 g
- Parmigiano ReggianoGrate.30 g
- Nutmega little
- Salt20g is for the cooking water.22 g
- Black peppera little
Method
Prepare the ingredients and boil water
- 1 MeanwhileWhile preparing the ingredients, start bringing 2L water to a boil in a large pot.
- 2 Trim the roots from 800g spinach and swish it in water, changing the water 2–3 times.
- 3 Grate 30g Parmigiano.
Ready when
Continue when no more grit appears in the washing water.
Briefly boil the spinach
- 1 Dissolve 20g salt in the boiling water, add the spinach and boil for 1 minute–1 minute 30 seconds.
- 2 Drain in a colander when the leaves turn bright green and the stems bend easily.
- 3 Once cool enough to handle, press firmly between both hands to squeeze out the water, then gently loosen the spinach.
Sauté in butter
- 1 Melt 40g butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- 2 When the bubbles become fine, add and loosen the spinach, sprinkle with 2g salt and a little nutmeg, and sauté for 2–3 minutes.
- 3 Turn off the heat when the moisture has evaporated and the butter gives all the leaves a glossy coating.
Finish with Parmigiano
- 1 With the heat off, toss half the 30g grated Parmigiano into the spinach.
- 2 Transfer to plates and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and black pepper.
Ready when
The dish is ready when the residual heat has softened the cheese into the spinach.
About this dish
Emilia-Romagna, across the Po Valley, is a dairy region that produces Parmigiano Reggiano and butter. While olive oil defines the south, dairy products form the flavor base of northern kitchens, and this culture extends to vegetable contorni.
Butter-sautéed spinach is one of the most everyday green accompaniments to secondi such as cutlets and boiled meats. It is a fixture in the contorni section of trattoria menus.
From autumn through spring, when spinach is in season, households boil market-bought bunches in advance and warm them in butter for each meal. Unadorned as it is, this dish is a foundation of the northern Italian table.
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