Name: Creamed Spinach with Parmesan and Prosciutto
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 8 slices (thin) prosciutto , chopped fine; 2 (10-ounce) bags curly-leaf spinach , stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces; 1 small onion , chopped fine; 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage; 4 garlic cloves , minced; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 3/4 cups whole milk; 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Most creamed spinach recipes produce gray, stringy spinach in a stodgy, heavy sauce. We wanted to reinvigorate this staple. For a deeper-flavored base, we sautéed onion and garlic in butter before stirring in the flour. Swapping whole milk for the cream called for in many creamed spinach recipes lightened the sauce and ensured that more of the spinach taste shone through. To avoid a watery sauce, we drained and pressed excess liquid from the cooked spinach before allowing it to heat through with the creamy sauce.

Before You Begin

While three 9-ounce boxes of frozen leaf spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry) may be substituted for the fresh, avoid baby spinach—it becomes slimy once cooked. Be sure to press as much liquid as possible from the spinach in step 1.

Instructions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook half of prosciutto until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Add spinach to pot in handfuls, stirring to allow each batch to wilt slightly before adding next. Continue to cook until spinach is uniformly wilted and glossy, about 1 minute. Transfer spinach to colander set over bowl and press with wooden spoon to release extra liquid.

Wipe out Dutch oven and melt remaining butter over medium heat. Add onion, remaining prosciutto, and sage and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Return spinach to pot and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and top with crispy prosciutto. Serve.