TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Spinaci alla RomanaRoman Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts
A traditional Roman side dish of spinach sautéed with pine nuts and raisins. Its balance of sweetness and bitterness enhances rich meat dishes.
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Ingredients (2 servings)
- Spinach400 g
- Garlic1 clove
- Olive oil2 tbsp
- Raisins30 g
- Pine nuts30 g
Method
Boil and squeeze the spinach
- 1 Trim the spinach roots and boil in salted water for 1 minute.
- 2 Cool in cold water to preserve the color, then squeeze thoroughly dry.
Infuse garlic in olive oil
- 1 Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté crushed garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
Sauté with nuts and raisins
- 1 Add pine nuts and sauté for 30 seconds, then add raisins and spinach and sauté together for 2 minutes.
Ready when
Season with salt to finish.
About this dish
On Roman tables, a leafy-green contorno beside meat is an everyday sight. Spinaci alla romana is known within that tradition for adding pine nuts and raisins.
The pairing of nuts and raisins with savory food has traveled around the Mediterranean since ancient times. In and around Rome it survives in vegetable dishes too, with similar ideas in the Roman Jewish cooking of the Ghetto.
It remains on trattoria contorno menus, served with meat such as saltimbocca or abbacchio. This unshowy side dish reveals where sweetness has found its place on the Roman table.
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