Authentic Italian Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

Experience this authentic Italian dish featuring tender greens, sweet raisins, and toasted pine nuts. A quick and healthy side dish that’s rich in flavor and perfect for any meal!

This traditional Italian sautéed spinach with raisins and pine nuts is one of those dishes that you know you will like, but then you unexpectedly experience a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and nutty flavors. Known in Italian as Spinaci saltati con uvetta e pinoli, it includes fresh spinach, sweet raisins, and crunchy pine nuts that come together in a way that’s both comforting and satisfying, yet light enough for any meal. It’s a great example of how Mediterranean cooking is simple yet delicious and versatile; it complements everything from grilled fish to roasted chicken, making it a go-to recipe for busy weeknights or dinner parties. And let’s not forget—this dish is loaded with antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats, making it a nutrient-packed side that’s ready in just 15 minutes.

A Healthy Vegetable Side: The Dietitian’s Take

It’s no surprise that this dish is going to be healthy. Spinach is an excellent source of iron, calcium, and antioxidants. The pine nuts along with the olive oil provide heart-healthy fats and you will get some extra fiber and antioxidants from the raisins. Together, these ingredients create a wonderfully rich-in-nutrients dish that is also delicious.

Ingredients for Authentic Italian Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

• Fresh Spinach: Use fresh spinach. Look for vibrant, deep green leaves without yellowing or wilting. Regular spinach is fine, you do not need baby spinach.
• Garlic Clove: Do not mince the garlic, it will be removed before serving, it just infuses the olive oil.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds a base flavor and healthy fats. Use extra virgin olive oil.
• Raisins: Deliver natural sweetness and balance to the savory spinach.
• Pine Nuts: Toasted to perfection, adding a nutty crunch. Choose evenly colored, fresh-smelling pine nuts. Avoid any that appear oily or have a rancid odor.
• Kosher Salt: A coarser salt works best for even distribution.
• Lemon Zest: Provides a bright citrusy aroma.

How to make Authentic Italian Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

• Soak the spinach in water for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and dry. Place the raisins in water and soak too.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add a garlic clove and heat until fragrant.
• Add the drained spinach to the pan and cook tossing for about 7 minutes until it wilts. Sprinkle with salt and continue heating until there is no water.

• Drain the raisins and add them to the spinach. Continue heating for 1-2 minutes. In the meantime, toast the pine nuts in a little pan until they are golden for about 1-2 minutes. Add the pine nuts to the spinach, toss and remove from heat.
• Remove the garlic, add some lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
• This dish is best served warm

What to serve with this Authentic Italian Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Pine Nuts

This sautéed spinach pairs beautifully with several Mediterranean dishes. It works wonderfully alongside chicken, such as the Five-ingredient Glazed Honey-Lemon Chicken Legs or the One-pan Mediterranean Chicken and Rice. It also pairs well with ground beef, such as Greek burgers or juicy Greek meatballs. And of course, fish is an obvious pairing, such as Mediterranean Baked Sole or Garlic and herb-crusted Roasted Sardines. For a vegetarian meal, the perfect pairing would be with pasta, my ideal choice being Simple Pasta with Capers, Garlic, and Toasted Breadcrumbs or an Easy Orzo Mushroom Risotto.

You may also like these Mediterranean Spinach Recipes

• Baked Eggs with Spinach and Feta
• Traditional Spanish Spinach with Chickpeas (Garbanzos con Espinacas)
• Black-Eyed Peas and Spinach

Want More Mediterranean Diet Guidance? Get my top-rated book!

Get it here >> The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners