Sautéed Baby Spinach with Walnuts & Feta

Five days ago you were at the grocery store and ambitiously bought two 8 oz. bags of baby spinach. "I'll make salads!" you say. "This is the week that I eat whole foods only!" But the hot days pass quicker than you expected and you forgot about these bags sitting in the fridge crisper and they're about to take the turn from fresh to sad. Eureka! Sautéed spinach wilts in a magnificent disappearing act that distills all the delicious flavor down into something that will more resemble a manageable amount to consume.

This recipe is a slight modification from ATK's sautéed spinach in Vegetables Illustrated - the method of squeezing the excess moisture out of the spinach really makes a difference compared to just letting it wilt in the pan. Plus, the walnuts, feta, and vinegar really brighten up and intensify the flavor of the spinach, delivering a side comparable to any fancy steakhouse.

Ingredients

16 oz. baby spinach

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin crosswise

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Microwave spinach and water in a covered bowl about 3-4 minutes, until spinach is wilted and decreased in volume by half. Remove bowl from microwave and keep covered for an additional minute. Carefully transfer the spinach to a colander and, using the back of a rubber spatula, gently press spinach against colander to release excess liquid. Transfer spinach to a cutting board, coarsely chop, and repeat colander/spatula step. (I found that I had to do this process in two batches because I didn't have a bowl big enough to hold all the raw spinach.)

2. Warm a 10" skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add garlic and stir constantly until garlic is light brown, 3-5 minutes.

3. Stir in the spinach and 1/4 tsp salt until spinach has a glossy sheen. Add red wine vinegar and walnuts along with the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil. Cook for an additional minute, remove from heat and top with feta. Serve immediately.