Everything tastes better with bacon, and so does spinach. The Italians often use rendered pieces of pancetta or prosciutto to flavor their vegetables, especially the winter vegetables such as chicory, kale, Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, and the like.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
6 ounces pancetta or regular bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Two 10-ounce bags fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the garlic. Let the garlic sizzle for a minute or two, then add the pancetta. Sauté until the pancetta fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the spinach, 1/2 cup water, and the salt. Cover, and cook until the spinach is tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover, and increase heat to high to cook away excess liquid, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.
