🥔 SIDE
Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts)
Spinach wilted and squeezed dry, then tossed in olive oil with sliced garlic, toasted pine nuts and plump soaked raisins, a sweet and savoury side from the Catalan kitchen.
Andorran · easy · serves 4
prep 15 min · cook 15 min · plus 30 min hands-off time
~250 cal · 9g protein · 20g carbs · 17g fat · 6g fiber · 7g sugars · 2g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Espinacs amb panses i pinyons, spinach with raisins and pine nuts, also called espinacs a la catalana, is one of the classic vegetable dishes of Catalan cooking, and Andorra, whose language and kitchen are Catalan, counts it among its own traditional recipes. The pairing of raisins and pine nuts has been loved around the Mediterranean since the Middle Ages, and the dish is already recorded in Catalan texts of the fourteenth century.
It is quick and simple. The spinach is wilted in a little boiling water or steam, drained and pressed hard to get rid of the water, then chopped and tossed in a pan of olive oil where thinly sliced garlic and pine nuts have been gently golden, with raisins that have been soaked until plump. The sweetness of the fruit and the richness of the toasted nuts turn plain greens into something special.
Some cooks add a little diced bacon or ham, or make it with chard instead of spinach, and the same mixture is used as a filling for coques and cannelloni. On its own it is served as a side for fish or meat, or as a starter with bread.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
- 1 kg fresh spinach, washed
- 40 g raisins
- 40 g pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Instructions
- 1Cover the raisins with warm water and leave them to soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
- 2Bring a large pot with a little salted water to the boil, add the spinach and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning it, until it collapses. Drain in a colander and press out as much water as you can with a wooden spoon, then chop it roughly.✎ Chef’s notePress hard. Water left in the spinach stops the oil from coating it and makes the dish soupy.
- 3Warm the olive oil in a wide frying pan over low heat and cook the garlic gently for 1 to 2 minutes without letting it brown. Add the pine nuts and stir until they turn light golden.
- 4Add the spinach and the raisins, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until any remaining water has evaporated and everything is glossy. Serve hot.
Catalan and Andorran home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Andorra la Vella. Andorra is a country of high valleys with no coast and a short growing season, so the pantry is whatever keeps: cured mountain charcuterie, cheese off the summer pastures, mushrooms gathered in autumn, and escudella, the Catalan stew of meat and vegetables tied to the January festivals.
🗺️
Andorra. Trinxat amb rosta is waste-free cooking made a virtue: winter cabbage and potato boiled, chopped together and fried in pork fat with bacon on top, using what survives frost at altitude. It is shared with the Alt Urgell and Cerdanya districts across the Catalan border, so it belongs to a mountain region rather than to a state.
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Europe. Europe has written a great deal of its food into law. A regulation of 1992 created the protected designation of origin and the protected geographical indication, tying a name to a place and a method, and an EU evaluation published in 2021 counted more than three thousand registered names across those schemes, from cheeses and hams down to particular shapes of bread.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Andorra
TrinxatMountain cabbage and potato mashed together, then crisped in a pan with bacon like a rustic Pyrenean rösti.
Pa amb TomàquetRustic bread rubbed with ripe tomato and garlic, drizzled with olive oil and salt.
EscudellaA mountain stew of meats, beans, and pasta with a big pilota meatball, the winter soul-food of Andorra.
Browse all Andorra recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Skillet or frying pan, Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it an Andorra meal
CocaDessert
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Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts)?
Spinach wilted and squeezed dry, then tossed in olive oil with sliced garlic, toasted pine nuts and plump soaked raisins, a sweet and savoury side from the Catalan kitchen.
Where does Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts) come from?
Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts) is an Andorran dish from Andorra la Vella, Andorra.
Can Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Espinacs a la Catalana (Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts) take to make?
About 1 h in all: 15 minutes prep and 15 minutes cooking, plus 30 min of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 4.
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