Steamed Orange-Spinach

Fresh spinach wilted in a hot skillet with nothing but orange juice and orange zest, then finished with a scatter of toasted pine nuts. Four ingredients, no butter, no oil, no cream. The spinach steams in its own residual water and the orange juice, making this as clean and light as a cooked green gets.

The orange zest is where most of the citrus aroma lives. Three tablespoons is generous, and that’s intentional. The fragrant oils in the zest perfume the spinach as it wilts, creating an aromatic side dish that smells as good as it tastes. The juice adds brightness and a touch of sweetness that tempers the mineral, slightly bitter edge of cooked spinach.

Pine nuts add a buttery crunch that gives this simple dish some substance. Walnuts work too if pine nuts aren’t in the budget; they bring a different but equally satisfying nuttiness.

Pro Tips

• Use high heat and toss constantly. Spinach should wilt in about 2 minutes. Any longer and it goes from vibrant green to dark, slimy, and overcooked.
• Wash the spinach well but leave some water clinging to the leaves. That residual moisture creates the steam that wilts it quickly.
• Stem the spinach before cooking. Thick stems stay tough and fibrous even after the leaves have fully wilted.
• Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until golden before tossing them in. Raw pine nuts are bland; toasted ones are rich and fragrant.

Variations

• Garlic-orange spinach: Add a minced clove of garlic to the skillet for 30 seconds before adding the spinach for a savory layer.
• Lemon version: Swap the orange juice and zest for lemon juice and zest for a sharper, more tart take.