Why it works: Spinach and pine match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 181 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the spinach
Rinse the spinach well and remove the stems.
Place in a large sauté pan with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves.
Cook over medium heat, turning as needed until wilted, just a few minutes.
Drain well and set aside.
Cook the onions
Add the olive oil to the now-empty pan and place over medium heat.
Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.
Combine and serve
Add the spinach, raisins, and pine nuts and sauté briefly to warm through.
Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pine Nut | 1 oz (28g) | 191 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Spinach | 1 cup raw (30g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Spinach + pinetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together181 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Olive + pinetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,062 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Spinach + olivetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
-
Spinach + peppertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,400 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
-
Spinach + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,336 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Spinach
- Wilts down in its own rinsing water, forming the tender green base of the dish.
- Olive oil
- Carries heat into the pan and softens the onions while adding a rich, fruity fat.
- Onions
- Soften during sautéing, adding sweetness and savory depth to the greens.
- Raisins
- Plumped in hot water, they add moisture and concentrated sweetness that contrasts the greens.
- Pine nuts
- Toasting brings out a nutty aroma and a pleasing crunch against the soft spinach.
The step that matters
Drain the spinach well. Spinach holds a lot of water. Leaving excess liquid in the pan dilutes the flavor and makes the greens soggy, so draining thoroughly keeps the dish tender rather than watery.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (spinach, olive, onion, pine, nuts, pepper):
- Avocadofits better
- Limefits better
- Lemonfits better
- Raisinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against spinach, olive, onion, pine, nuts, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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