Michelangelo's Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 poundsbunch spinach or 2 10-ounce cellophane packages spinach
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dried fruit or raisins
• 4 anchovies cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Cinnamon to taste
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. 1
   Clean and wash the spinach (see washing tips below). Toast the pine nuts. Chop the dried fruit and soak it in the balsamic vinegar.
2. 2
   Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the spinach until it is wilted, making sure to drain any excess liquid.
3. 3
   Add the anchovies, dried fruit or raisins, and pine nuts. Toss well and season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Mix well and serve.
4. 4
   Washing Spinach: If you like, leave the stems on tender, young, or flat-leaf spinach, but remove the stems from tougher, thick, curly spinach leaves. Wash the leaves in a sinkful of cold water, swishing them around to remove the sand and grit, then letting them float a minute or two to give the dirt a chance to settle to the bottom of the sink. Lift the leaves from the sink with your hands or a large wire skimmer into a colander to drain. Two 10-ounce cellophane bags of spinach, or three large bunches of leaf spinach, will yield about 1 pound spinach leaves when cleaned.