• What it is: A remarkably easy, rich, and utterly satisfying side dish that skillfully replaces a traditional flour-based roux with the luxurious combination of mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and sharp Parmesan. It’s a culinary shortcut to gourmet taste.
• Why you’ll love it: This creamy, flavorful side is a breeze to prepare, taking only 25 minutes from start to finish. It delivers the authentic taste of a high-end steakhouse favorite right to your dining table and is naturally gluten-free, making it perfect for effortless entertaining.
• How to make it: The process is straightforward: blanch fresh spinach, press out all excess moisture, sauté it briefly with melted butter and onions, then stir in the creams and cheeses until heated through and perfectly cohesive.

Creamed Spinach

David Leite

• 12 cups cold water
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, stems removed
• 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup mascarpone, or 1/4 cup additional heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• White pepper, to taste

• Pour the 12 cups cold water into a large pot, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
• Meanwhile, prepare your spinach by swirling it in a separate large bowl of cold water, changing the water several times, to ensure any sand or grit is completely removed. Drain the cleaned spinach in a colander. Fill the large bowl halfway with ice water; this will be your ice bath.
• Carefully add the clean spinach to the boiling water and cook for precisely 2 minutes. The spinach should wilt and turn a vibrant green.
• Using tongs or a slotted spoon, quickly transfer the blanched spinach to the prepared ice water. Let it sit for just a minute or so; this rapid chilling stops the cooking process and locks in that beautiful bright color. Drain the spinach thoroughly in a colander, and then, with utmost importance, squeeze out as much excess water as possible. This is a critical step for a rich, creamy, non-watery result.
• Wipe out the pot and return it to medium heat. Add the unsalted butter and allow it to melt completely. Add the finely diced onion and 1 teaspoon salt, cooking until the onions are softened and translucent but not browned, which should take about 4 minutes. Stir in the thoroughly squeezed spinach, heavy cream, mascarpone (or additional heavy cream if using), grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.
• Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is warmed throughout and the sauce has beautifully thickened and clings to the spinach. Season generously with additional salt and 6 grinds of white pepper to taste. Serve your exquisite creamed spinach as soon as possible for the best flavor and texture.

1. Make it ahead: To keep the creamed spinach warm for up to an hour before serving, place it in the top of a double boiler or a covered heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water. For making it up to 1 day in advance, let the creamed spinach cool completely, then transfer it to a baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven until warmed through, approximately 15-20 minutes.
2. Make it easier: Save time by using pre-washed bagged spinach or frozen spinach (thawed and thoroughly squeezed).
3. Dietary considerations: This recipe is naturally suitable for gluten-free and vegetarian diets.
4. Get creative with leftovers: Repurpose any leftover creamed spinach by using it in a baked pasta dish or as a savory filling for omelets.

Adapted From

Artisanal Cooking

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Nutrition

Adrienne Lee

Adrienne found the flavor of this creamed spinach “extremely good” and noted that while she typically prefers chopped spinach, the texture of this dish was perfectly fine. She raised an interesting point about the salt content, suggesting that the initial 1 teaspoon of salt added with the onion might not be entirely necessary, especially if using mascarpone. After tasting, she didn’t add any additional salt and felt the dish was slightly on the salty side. This highlights the importance of tasting and adjusting seasoning, particularly when using mascarpone, which can contribute to the overall saltiness.

Kara Vitek

Kara enthusiastically declared this “the best creamed spinach ever!” and celebrated its make-ahead convenience. She doubled the recipe, easily yielding 6 generous side servings, and emphasized the value of the “labor of love” involved in thoroughly squeezing out the spinach—a step she deemed “well worth it.” Opting for mascarpone, Kara found the resulting flavor “out of this world” and “restaurant quality.” Her testers agreed, praising the “spot-on” texture, noting that “this sauce had a perfectly thick grip on the spinach,” avoiding the common issue of spinach swimming in a pool of cream. It performed wonderfully for a dinner party, having been prepared in the morning, refrigerated, and successfully reheated at 300°F (149°C) for 20 minutes.

Ralph Knauth

Ralph highlighted the recipe’s simplicity, calling it a “very easy, straightforward recipe,” especially when using frozen spinach as a shortcut. He appreciated how “the combination of cream and mascarpone adds a nice touch and really makes the spinach creamy.” Ralph unequivocally labeled it a “keeper of a recipe” and expressed his intention to try it next time with fresh spinach, anticipating an even better result.

Jackie Gorman

Jackie found the dish “amazingly delicious” and committed to making it frequently. She suggested an optional but helpful step: chopping the spinach before adding it to the cream sauce to break up large clumps. Opting for extra heavy cream instead of mascarpone, she was curious to try the mascarpone version in the future. Jackie also creatively tweaked the recipe by adding sautéed mushrooms, a combination she’s “always been fond of,” resulting in wonderful flavors. While the recipe suggests 4 servings, Jackie noted that it was easily polished off by just two, leading to her “disappointment that I didn’t have any leftovers to enjoy the next day,” a true sign of its deliciousness.

Shannon Parrish

Shannon “loved this creamy side dish,” particularly appreciating the “salty, nutty tones that the Parmigiano imparted.” She used additional heavy cream in place of mascarpone, finding that it “worked well, lending creaminess to the dish.” To save time, Shannon utilized packaged fresh spinach, avoiding the need to rinse loose leaves. She confirmed that the dish indeed yields 4 servings as a side and concluded that it’s a “great side dish and would make a good accompaniment to most all meat main dishes,” eagerly anticipating making it again.

Linda Pacchiano

Linda praised this recipe for producing “a very nice version of the classic steak house dish.” She specifically enjoyed the unique “flavor twist that the Parmigiano-Reggiano and mascarpone cheeses produced.” Linda found the creamed spinach recipe to be excellent “as written” and offered “no tweaks or changes to suggest,” highlighting its perfect execution.

Megan M.

Megan described the spinach as having a “lovely flavor.” She made a half recipe and chose to use extra heavy cream instead of mascarpone. Her experience reinforced the crucial step of thoroughly squeezing the spinach, especially when using only cream, noting that the process could be “a bit messy” with water “just about everywhere.” Despite the wet kitchen, Megan found the entire preparation surprisingly quick, taking only “20 to 25 minutes to finish everything.” She served it with white fish, finding the combination “very tasty.”

Sofia Reino

Sofia shared a nostalgic connection to creamed spinach from her childhood, noting that the addition of mascarpone in this recipe provided a “totally different twist to the staple I grew up with.” She particularly appreciated how the mascarpone “added a touch of creaminess and helped balancing the heaviness of the cream,” making it a “perfect side dish for a nice grilled Porterhouse steak.”