This Italian spinach with cheese recipe is a delicious, cheesy side dish made with fresh spinach, mozzarella, and cacioricotta—a unique aged ricotta cheese from Southern Italy.
Creamy, comforting, and surprisingly simple, it’s one of those humble dishes that quietly belong to everyday Italian home cooking.
SPINACI FILANTI
I can’t count how many times I saw my mom open a plastic bag of frozen spinach cubes with tiny white dots and toss them into a skillet.
It was the era when Italy enthusiastically embraced frozen food. Five-minute meals seemed like the future.
And honestly, anything creamy, cheesy, and salty could conquer any child’s palate.
My mother had four to feed.
But spinaci filanti—”melting spinach”—was never just a supermarket invention.
It had always existed in Italian home cooking.
We had simply forgotten how easy and rewarding it is to make from scratch.
CACIORICOTTA MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
Instead of relying on extra salt or processed flavors, this version combines mozzarella with cacioricotta, an aged Southern Italian cheese.
Mozzarella brings stretchiness.
Cacioricotta adds depth and character.
Together they transform a humble vegetable into one of those side dishes everyone keeps serving themselves.
You can use only mozzarella if you like, although you’ll probably end up adding a little more salt—or more garlic, which is hardly a bad idea.
ITALIAN VEGETABLES ARE OFTEN OVERCOOKED
Overcooked vegetables may surprise visitors, but in Italy they’re part of many traditional recipes.
Here the spinach becomes soft enough to blend perfectly with the melted cheeses, creating a creamy, comforting side dish that pairs beautifully with grilled meat, rustic bread, or even a simple pasta course.
Italian spinach with cheese
Ingredients
- 1 oz fresh spinach - 400 gr
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3.5 oz mozzarella - 100 gr
- 1.8 oz cacioricotta - 50 gr
- salt
Instructions
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Clean and drain the spinach well.
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Peel and crush the garlic clove with the blade of a large knife.
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Pour the olive oil into a large pan and add the garlic and sauté over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
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Add the spinach, sprinkle them with a pinch or two of salt, and cover. Lower heat and cook until mushy - five to eight minutes.
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Meanwhile, finely chop or trite the cheeses.
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When the spinach is fully cooked, add the cheeses. Mix, over medium heat, until the cheeses have melted and have been well amalgamated to the veggies.
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Serve hot.
Enjoy your Italian spinach with cheese!
Claudia