Go Back
+ servings
bowl of spinach with pine nuts.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins (Espinacas a la Catalana)

This classic Spanish dish of spinach with pine nuts and raisins is a delicious way to get your daily veggies! This tasty espinacas a la catalana is an easy side dish to make in 30 minutes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Spanish
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 241.53kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds fresh baby spinach leaves
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup water
  • cup golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more to serve
  • cup pine nuts
  • 2 cloves garlic finely sliced
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Place all of the raisins in a small bowl and cover with water. Put to one side and leave them to rehydrate.
  • To prepare the spinach, wash any dirt or soil off of the leaves, and trim the stalks (not necessary if using baby spinach). Once clean, place in a large pot with the salt and water over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
  • Strain through a colander and gently squeeze with your hands to remove any excess water. Leave in a colander over a bowl to continue draining.
  • Place a large skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat and add the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts until they are lightly golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Shake the pan quite a bit to move the nuts around and toast evenly on all sides. Remove the nuts from the pan and place on a plate to one side.
  • Put the pan back on the heat. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to medium. When the olive oil is hot, add the garlic and begin to fry until lightly golden (about 1-2 minutes).
  • Drain the raisins and add them to the pan. Also add the spinach, stirring to mix together with the raisins and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until any excess water has evaporated completely.
  • Add the pine nuts back into the pan and stir to combine everything.
  • Remove the pan from heat and serve immediately. Season with salt, pepper, and more olive oil.

Notes

  • For best results, I like to use baby spinach leaves. Apart from being way easier to clean (always a plus), the leaves are also a bit sweeter and have a slightly less coarse texture. 
  • Pine nuts can go from golden brown to burned in a scarily short period of time, so make sure to watch them like a hawk.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 241.53kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.87g | Protein: 10.15g | Fat: 15.86g | Saturated Fat: 1.71g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.06g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.26g | Sodium: 518.19mg | Potassium: 1745.35mg | Fiber: 7.17g | Sugar: 8.76g | Vitamin A: 26586.74IU | Vitamin C: 80.61mg | Calcium: 292.72mg | Iron: 8.59mg