Big balls of spinach all the time catch my eye on the uncommon events I am going in one of many smarter of Testaccio’s meals retailers. That is ridiculous contemplating the cupboards of cheese and whole partitions of cured meat that might be taking my consideration. Nevertheless, the brilliant inexperienced, cricket-ball sized globes of blanched spinach that sit on a white tray on the entrance of the ready-prepared meals part are the issues I discover myself taking a look at repeatedly. My practice of thought is all the time the identical. They’re 14 euros every! Who buys these balls? Making my very own at dwelling, I’ve discovered there have to be a kilo of (hardy) spinach in every one. In the meanwhile spinach is €2.50 a kilo on the market, so there’s critical revenue in these balls.

“Good spinach must be energetic, it ought to crunch and squeak as you stuff it into the bag” writes Jane Grigson. I believe she would have accepted of my farming fruit and veg man Filippo on Testaccio market. His spinach must be wrestled into the bag, after which bounces in opposition to my leg all the best way dwelling. She would additionally, I believe, have accepted of the bouncing bagful I purchased on the Uxbridge Highway yesterday, which is now sitting in a colander in my sister’s kitchen in London. I get pleasure from this parity of components in my two international locations. I like hardy winter spinach varieties, with their crumpled leaves, ribbed stems with pink suggestions, trying sturdy, but on the identical time candy and tender.

Launched to Italy by the Arabs within the eleventh century, the spinach grown close to Rome is superb. Usually, it’s merely served, wilted, well-drained and dressed with olive oil and a spritz of lemon. One other good Roman method is strascinata – “dragged” – in olive oil and garlic, typically with raisins and pine nuts. All that stated, butter is what I crave with spinach loads, pondering of a Jane Grigson recipe by which spinach is wilted, then reheated a number of instances, including extra butter every time, till it’s the richest stuff, a spoonful of which knocks the socks off creamed spinach. Butter can be key on bread below spinach and hollandaise, or melted on these pesky-to-poach, however glorious spinach and ricotta dumplings that Tuscans name gnudi.

As we speak’s recipe although, is for not one of the above, neither is it the spinach curry I’m trying ahead to consuming whereas I’m in London. It’s a spinach and rice cake, which first happened for me due to spinach and rice leftovers. Or as an Italian would say the avanzi di spinaci e riso – avanzi which means “what stays”, but additionally one thing advantageous, which is the best way Italians see leftovers. In fact Italy isn’t alone or particular in having resourceful recipes for utilizing leftovers: it’s a function in conventional dwelling cooking in all international locations. However Italy is the place I do know, and the place recipes for leftovers actually do nonetheless rule, serving to cooking really feel like a continuum, one dish and meal rolling into the following slightly than a collection of remoted events.

Whether or not made with advantageous leftovers, or cooked from scratch, that is surprisingly tasty and good thought; savoury and pleasingly plump. It’s all very easy – rice and spinach blended with its allies: butter, nutmeg, parmesan and eggs, pressed right into a tin then baked. The tin helps create a crusty backside. It’s good served scorching, heat or at room temperature. Spinach and orange are good companions, so my Sicilian orange and fennel salad, which I roll out every time potential, is my selection of accompaniment right here. In any other case there’s the very sociable peperonata. Your ideas are welcome. For those who do put together the spinach for this, perhaps cook dinner greater than you want and form your spinach “benefit” right into a ball.

Spinach and rice cake – torta di spinaci e riso

I’m not going to imagine you all have leftover spinach and rice, so right here is the recipe from scratch, which also needs to assist you get a deal with on portions so whenever you do have leftovers you are able to do it by eye.

Serves 4–6
500g contemporary spinach
250g Italian quick grain risotto rice (reminiscent of arborio or carnaroli)
Salt and black pepper
A small onion
20g butter, plus extra for the dish
3 eggs, crushed
50g parmesan
Nutmeg
A handful of advantageous breadcrumbs

1 Decide over the spinach, discarding discoloured leaves and hard stalks, then wash in a few modifications of chilly water. Stuff the moist spinach into a big pan with no further water and cook dinner, coated over a low warmth till it withers. Tip it right into a colander after which depart to empty totally.

2 Boil the rice in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain.

3 Peel and finely cube the onion. In a big frying or sauté pan, fry the onion within the butter with a small pinch of salt till mushy and golden. Use scissors to roughly chop the spinach after which add to the frying pan together with the rice.

4 Pull the pan from the flame, enable to chill somewhat earlier than including the crushed eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, black pepper and a pinch of salt if mandatory.

5 Butter and dirt a cake tin or mould with advantageous breadcrumbs. Tip the combination into the mould after which press flat with the again of a spoon. Bake at 200C/400F/gasoline mark 6 for 25 minutes or till the cake is ready agency, somewhat crisp and golden. Enable to sit down for five minutes earlier than turning out, or serving straight from the tin in wedges. Additionally superb at room temperature.