Sautéed Garlic Spinach with Lemon and Toasted Pine Nuts
A simple, earnest side dish of vibrant spinach sautéed with fragrant garlic and brightened with fresh lemon juice and crunchy toasted pine nuts. This Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian recipe, ready in about 12 minutes, pairs fresh spinach leaves, olive oil, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 150 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3, thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1/4 cup pine nuts and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove pine nuts to a small bowl.
- Step 2: In the same skillet, add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Step 3: Add 10 oz fresh spinach leaves to the skillet, stirring quickly to coat with oil and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes until spinach is wilted but still bright green.
- Step 4: Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top before serving.








