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Home » Recipes » Sides

Spinach with Butter + Parmesan

Published: May 14, 2019 · Modified: Nov 19, 2020 by Coley · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This Spinach with Butter + Parmesan is a simple, yet delicious side dish recipe that takes only 5 minutes to make and uses just 4 ingredients! 

This post originally appeared on Coley Cooks in 2015, but I've since updated it with fresh photography, writing and a revised recipe. 

Back when I first started blogging, I didn't pay a ton of attention to who actually read my blog.

I did it for myself, really, as a sort of public food diary; a way to document my recipes and eating habits over the years. I never really fathomed the idea that one day people other than my dad and husband would actually start visiting my blog and making the recipes. Well, here we are. 🙂

I have so many old posts about really awesome recipes, but they're so old and have such painfully bad photography that no one ever sees them. So, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit some of my old favorites and give them a little facelift. This is the first one up to bat.

I love, love, love this recipe for buttery parmesan spinach. We have it as a side dish AT LEAST once a week. If you know anyone who hems and haws about having to eat leafy green veggies, I can almost guarantee that this dish will get them to slurp them down like ice cream. It's so buttery and flavorful, it's easy to forget how much spinach you're actually eating.

This spinach with butter and parmesan comes together so fast, making it a killer side dish recipe for quick and easy weeknight meals. Roasted chicken? Parmesan spinach. Grilled steaks? Parmesan spinach. Sauteed fish? Parmesan spinach. It goes with EVERYTHING. Simply sauté fresh spinach in garlicky butter with salt and pepper, then shower it with lots of good quality parmesan cheese. It's so simple, but so sooo good. The best kind of food always is.

Close up, side view of butter and Parmesan creamed spinach in a serving bowl.Skillet of wilted spinach that has grated Parmesan on top ready to stir in.Close up of Parmesan topped wilted spinach.

This tasty spinach side dish is so good, I bet even Popeye himself would approve! It has only 4 ingredients, comes together in 5 minutes and is both healthy AND delicious. What more could you want in a recipe?

The video below is super outdated but shows how easy the recipe is! I hope this becomes a new family favorite for you.

Vertical shot of creamed butter and Parmesan spinach.

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Vertical shot of creamed butter and Parmesan spinach.

Spinach with Butter + Parmesan

  • Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: side
  • Method: sauteed
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This Spinach with Butter + Parmesan is a simple, yet delicious side dish recipe that takes only 5 minutes to make and uses just 4 ingredients! 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons butter (salted is best)
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb baby spinach OR fresh spinach that's been washed and large stems trimmed
  • 1-2 ounces good quality parmesan cheese, such as Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat, the add in the garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper, then sauté for about a minute or two until it just starts to turn golden brown.
  2. Throw in the spinach and toss around until it starts to wilt - this will happen very quickly. Sprinkle a little more than half of the parmesan over the top and toss some more.
  3. Remove from the heat to prevent overcooking - you want the spinach to be just wilted - and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the spinach and all of the juices into a serving bowl, then grate the remaining parmesan over the top and serve.

Notes

  • If using farm fresh stalks of spinach, be sure to give them a good wash before cooking, as they tend to be very sandy. In addition, you'll need to trim off the bulkier stems before cooking, but don't throw them away! They're perfect for juicing, making soups or adding to a green smoothie. If using a box of baby spinach, these steps are not necessary.

Keywords: butter, parmesan, spinach, side, healthy

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @coleycooks on Instagram and hashtag it #coleycooks

Pinterest collage of spinach topped with butter and Parmesan cheese. Vertical Pinterest image of spinach topped with butter and Parmesan.

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  1. Bruno

    April 24, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    Yep. There are few things better. Although I rarely use that much garlic, this dish appears on the Casa d'Bruno table two or more times a week. I keep the Dole bagged spinach supply at the Ack-a-me moving. Sometimes with Parm, sometimes with red pepper flakes and a dash of apple cider vinegar sometimes just wilted in extra virgin olive oil and some white pepper. We're the Popeye family on the island. Last night it was blanched, chopped and creamed with a black truffle oil drizzle at the finish. Love that stuff.

    Reply
    • Coley

      April 24, 2015 at 3:12 pm

      Thanks Popeye... I mean Bruno! Nice to hear from you, as always! Creamed spinach is a favorite of mine too, I'll have to share my recipe for that soon!

      Reply
      • Bruno

        April 25, 2015 at 12:03 am

        Please do. I still make mine with a brown butter roux and I'm looking for a lower fat version. Perhaps you have one. I'm still trying to lose the weight I gained when I stopped smoking. (After 51 years!) But I love food even more now. You rock, kid! Keep on keeping on.

        Reply
  2. Acadia

    April 25, 2015 at 12:32 am

    Put enough butter and cheese on it and I will eat an ice skate. You are a gross slurper which is funny and you need to put the link to the post in the video in case people see it just from youtube.

    Rating: Good Place!

    Reply
  3. Lolo

    April 25, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    Hi, Coley!! I love fresh spinach and lately have been making a spinach cheddar cheese quiche (ask Vida..lol) using a pre-made granola pie shell that really gives it a great taste. I make it for dinner with a salad but eat the left-overs for breakfast (Ramon adds bacon on the side) or lunch. Really tasty!

    Reply
    • Coley

      April 27, 2015 at 2:41 pm

      yum that sounds awesome! I'd take mine with bacon too 🙂

      Reply

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I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley. You should, too! I'm a chef and recipe developer specializing in seasonal, coastal Italian cooking. Here you'll find hundreds of time-tested, easy-to-follow recipes to help you become more confident in the kitchen!

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