Step 1

Wash the spinach. Place the spinach in a bowl or sink full of cold water, gently swishing it around to dislodge any dirt. Do not agitate it too much, as you want the dirt to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Remove the spinach, drain the dirty water, and repeat if necessary.

Step 2

Dry the spinach. Place the spinach on a kitchen towel and pat dry. It's not necessary to get it completely dry, but be sure to pat up as much water as possible.

Step 3

Cook the spinach. Place a sauté pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the spinach. It's OK to pile it up a bit, as it will wilt quickly, but even so, it may not all fit in at first. Using a tongs, gently toss and turn the spinach so all of the unwilted leaves make contact with the bottom of the pan.

Step 4

Continue to add spinach. As the spinach cooks down, add any remaining spinach and continue to toss. When all the spinach is completely wilted and has turned bright green, it is done.

Step 5

Remove from the pan. Remove the spinach from the pan and spread it out on a plate so the steam evaporates and it cools.

Step 6

Squeeze the spinach (optional). Once the spinach has cooled, gather it into a ball and squeeze as hard as you can. Be sure to do this standing over the sink or, if you want to save the spinach juice, into a bowl. You may have to do this in batches, or you use a use a potato ricer if you have one.

Step 7

Season the spinach (optional). If you are going to be eating the spinach on its own, season it with salt, pepper, and any aromatics (see list below).