23 Clever Ways to Cook With Spinach—From Creamy Pastas to Elegant Quiches

Our collection of spinach recipes shows the versatility of this healthy green.

Lemony Pasta With Goat Cheese and Spinach — Credit:
Jacob Fox

Is there anything spinach can’t do? It’s versatile and good for you; it’s also an easy-going green, much easier to love than the more assertive kale or collards. As our collection of spinach recipes proves, this leafy vegetable shines in simple sides and salads as well as cheesy baked pastas, rich quiches, hot appetizers, and creamy casseroles. Whether you’re using fresh leaf spinach, baby spinach, or frozen spinach, you’ll find delicious ways to enjoy it.

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Easy Creamed Spinach

easy creamed spinach in red serving bowl — Diana Chistruga

One of our most popular recipes and our top side dish, this simple spinach recipe is just right for any dinner, from weeknights to special occasions. What makes it so easy is that there’s no sauce; instead, we use one of our favorite shortcut ingredients—cream cheese. Mixed with milk and stirred into sautéed onion and garlic, it creates a creamy foil for the greens.

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Spinach Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad on blue surface with dishtowel — Kelsey Hansen

Baby spinach, strawberries, salty and creamy feta cheese, toasted almonds, and sesame seeds are tossed with a white balsamic vinaigrette in this colorful salad.

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Bacon and Spinach Quiche

spinach bacon quiche — Bryan Gardner

This quiche is a hybrid of quiche Lorraine (the classic bacon) and Florentine (spinach), and it’s the best of all possibles. We use baby spinach and Swiss cheese along with cooked, crumbled bacon.

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Hot Spinach Dip

Hot Spinach Dip — Jason Donnelly

A party starter, this hot, cheesy dip is a favorite for good reason. Even better, our version can be made ahead and is a one-dish recipe—we love when there is less to clean up.

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Penne With Spinach Pesto and Turkey Sausage

green pasta turkey meatballs — Sidney Bensimon

Fresh spinach plus basil and peas create a super-green pesto that’s delicious on any pasta. We also crisp spinach leaves in the oven as a crunchy topping for this fun dinner. Turkey sausage adds protein and heft, but skip it for a vegetarian meal.

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Spinach and Three Cheese Pizza

spinach and three cheese pizza — Mike Krautter

Proof that pizza does not need tomatoes or sauce. Martha’s recipe makes four individual pizzas topped with three cheeses: mozzarella, Gruyère, and Pecorino Romano, plus spinach and olive oil

07 of 23

Spinach and Cheese Strata

A strata is an Italian version of a savory bread pudding and a favorite for breakfast or brunch, though this hearty egg bake also makes a delicious dinner. We use fresh spinach (feel free to sub frozen), with cheddar, eggs, milk, and day-old bread in our version.

08 of 23

Wilted Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

Spinach makes a nutritious side dish, and when you wilt it with olive oil and add in cherry tomatoes, it becomes a quick, colorful, and healthy option. It's also a great way to get the potentially spinach-averse to give this healthy green a try.

09 of 23

Quinoa and Spinach Pilaf

Andrew Purcell

A healthy, protein-packed side, we love this dish with everything from roast beef or ribs to chicken and fish.

10 of 23

Spinach Lasagna

lucindas spinach lasagna

This rich vegetarian baked pasta layers no-bake noodles with béchamel sauce, baby spinach, and sliced zucchini. Mozzarella and pecorino Romano bring on the cheese.

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Chicken and Spinach Casserole

Chicken and spinach casserole — Rachel Marek

Easy and delicious, this family favorite casserole uses rotisserie chicken. It's shredded and mixed with sautéed spinach and cream sauce, then finished with torn bread for texture on top. All it needs is a quick turn in the oven, and dinner is ready.

12 of 23

Soba Soup With Spinach

Flat-leaf spinach stars with soba noodles, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, scallions, lime, and soy in this brothy meal.

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Creamed Spinach Gratin

creamed spinach gratin — Ngoc Minh Ngo

Creamed spinach meets the classic French gratin in this must-make recipe. Nutty Gruyère cheese and crunchy toasted breadcrumbs take the classic steakhouse side to the next level. It's sure to become an often-requested recipe in your house.

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Lemony Pasta With Goat Cheese and Spinach

Lemony Pasta With Goat Cheese and Spinach — Jacob Fox

Dinner in 20 minutes—that’s this easy spinach pasta. Baby spinach stars along with cilantro. Parsley, walnuts, and goat cheese come together to create a creamy sauce.

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Steamed Spinach in the Microwave

Steamed Spinach — Jake Sternquist

Steaming spinach in the microwave produces perfectly tender greens and couldn't be quicker or easier. All you need is a microwave-safe bowl and a couple of minutes of hands-off time. Add a pinch of salt, and it’s ready to eat as is or use in your favorite recipes.

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Easy Spinach-Ricotta Dip

A serving dish of creamy spinach dip on a wooden board accompanied by toasted bread slices — Jason Donnelly

A tasty and healthy take on spinach dip, our recipe swaps the usual cream cheese and sour cream for ricotta, creating a lighter dip that’s just irresistible. The spinach can be steamed or sautéed.

17 of 23

Warm Spinach Salad With Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Onion

warm spinach salad with shiitake mushrooms and red onion

Spinach stars in two different ways in this warm salad. It’s sautéed with shiitake mushrooms and also used raw. Quick-pickled red onions add a boost of color, and sesame seeds bring crunch.

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Lentils With Spinach

Easy and versatile, this spinach and lentils dish can be the main event of a vegan meal or a supporting player for a family dinner. Lentils are cooked with carrot, onion, garlic, and bay leaf—the spinach is added just before serving.

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Spinach Manicotti in Creamy Tomato Sauce

An Italian-American classic, this cheesy stuffed pasta packs in spinach and tomato sauce along with ricotta, Parmesan, and heavy cream for added richness.

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Spinach and Cheddar Slab Quiche

spinach cheddar slab quiche — Julia Gartland

Made with store-bought puff pastry and frozen spinach, this slab quiche is delicious for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

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Salmon and Spinach Burgers

Salmon-Spinach Burgers — Frank Frances

Not the usual patty, these salmon burgers are made with the fish plus spinach, goat cheese, olive oil, and lemon. Serve them with flatbreads—no buns needed!

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Creamy Corn-and-Spinach Pasta

Creamy Corn-and-Spinach Pasta — Johnny Miller

This 35-minute one-pan pasta melds sweet summer corn with fresh baby spinach, pasta, cream cheese, and pecorino cheese. It’s just delicious.

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Spinach-Feta Pizza Slab Pie

spinach-feta pizza slab pie — Linda Pugliese

A must-make for potlucks and all kinds of parties, this pie feeds a crowd and is made with store-bought pizza dough. The filling is fresh spinach, mozzarella, and feta.

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