Spinach Saute

Four ingredients and a skillet. That’s the whole play for this spinach saute, and it’s a masterclass in doing less and getting more. Fresh spinach wilts down with sauteed garlic and tomato wedges into a silky, deeply flavored side dish.

Starting with the tomato and garlic in oil builds an aromatic base before the spinach even hits the pan. The garlic blooms in the hot oil, the tomato softens and releases its juices, and that flavored oil coats every leaf of spinach as it cooks down.

The two-stage cooking is smart. Covered for 15 minutes lets the spinach steam and wilt completely. Uncovered for another 5-10 minutes evaporates the excess liquid so you end up with concentrated flavor instead of a watery puddle on the plate.

A pound of fresh spinach looks like a mountain of greens, but it cooks down to about a cup. Don’t be alarmed.

Pro Tips

• Wash the spinach thoroughly in several changes of water. Sandy spinach ruins an otherwise simple dish, and grit hides in the crinkled leaves.
• Crush the garlic rather than mincing it. Crushed cloves release flavor more slowly and are easy to fish out if you don’t want to bite into them.
• Peel the tomato before cutting into wedges. The skin separates during cooking and creates chewy strips that feel out of place in the soft spinach.
• Season with salt only after cooking. Salt draws water out of the spinach prematurely and makes it harder to evaporate excess liquid.

Variations

• Swap vegetable oil for olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end for a brighter, more Mediterranean finish.
• Toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for gentle heat.
• Add toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds after cooking for crunch and richness.