This is an amazing way to eat spinach as a side dish with it’s salty bites from the pancetta, the light flavor added by the shallots and the fresh lemon squeezed over top at the end that brighten the flavors. You will love this once you give it a try!
Spinach with Crispy Pancetta and Shallots
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 16 oz of baby spinach
- 4 oz of diced pancetta
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 lemon for squeezing over top at the end
- 1/4 tsp of salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat add your butter, olive oil, shallots and pancetta and cook until the pancetta is very crispy. This is important. You want it to the point it is just starting to brown like crispy bacon (5-10 minutes).
- Now add your baby spinach to the pot and mix well making sure to coat your spinach in the pancetta and olive oil mixture. Cook until your spinach just begins to wilt.
- Remove from heat.
- Now add your salt and toss your spinach around in the pan again just to make sure you get all of the bits of pancetta and shallot from the bottom of the pan incorporated into your spinach.
- Now squeeze 1/2 of your lemon over the spinach and toss again.
- Pour into a serving bowl making sure to get all of the yummy juices and bits of pancetta and shallots at the bottom.
- Enjoy
Lovely clean recipe. The lemon also helps to stop that filmy, coating, feeling on teeth that spinach often gives off.
Thank You Natasha! I thought I was the only one who noticed that filmy coating after eating cooked spinach 🙂 Glad I am not going crazy and thank you for that wonderful tip!