Day 333: creamed spinach (sort of), the nigellisima way

Creamed spinach always reminds me of my time living in Norway. I don’t know whether it was there that I tried it for the first time or whether it was a favourite among friends’ homes that I would sometimes go to for dinner after school - I’m pretty sure it wasn’t from my own home as I think my Mum loathes spinach - but whenever I make or eat it, it sends me soaring back to my childhood there. Not that I make it very often, and probably haven’t done so for ten years, or more.

I must confess, It’s not a veg we eat anywhere near enough of in this house. It’s one of those things that annoy me, if truth be told: in order to make enough to feed a family of five, taking into account fresh spinach reduces to a fraction of its raw volume when cooked, I have to buy quite a few bags of it - which takes up a lot of room in the fridge! As a side, however, I think I can make a bigger effort to get it involved in weekly culinary life. I’m willing to change! Saying that, I do keep frozen spinach to hand for emergency suppers/soups (the other day I used it to bulk out/enrich N’s Pasta Risotto with Peas and Pancetta, which was a delicious hit). Anyway, to kick this off: Day 333 is Nigella’s Spinach Baked with Ricotta & Nutmeg.

Nigella’s Spinach Baked with Ricotta & Nutmeg

As usual, recently, it’s not unusual to find me completely away with the fairies in some distant, tranquil land when making dinner. I doubled the quantities for this but only used a small baking dish, which meant the outside cooked to a puffy soufflé/omelette-like texture - which I really can’t stand - by the time the centre had cooked (to perfection, I might add). No worries there though: I just took my portion from the middle! And divine it was.

Recipe in Nigellissima and on nigella.com (link below).