John's Spinach Pasta
John Gregory-Smith joined us in studio to talk us through whether fresh, frozen or canned spinach is better, and to cook up a nutrient packed spinach and bacon pasta!
銋ゃ叅
FRESH SPINACH
People might think fresh spinach is a no brainer for being the best, and it is, depending on when you're planning on using it and how much of it you might need. Fresh spinach actually loses up to 75% of its nutritional value over a 7 day period when you keep it in the fridge, so if you're buying it as part of your weekly shop on a Saturday and not using it until mid-week, then you might not be getting the nutritional benefits you think you are, however if you're buying it fresh and using it on the same day then fresh is the right way to go!
銋ゃ叅
FROZEN SPINACH
Frozen spinach can be the best of both worlds, it's frozen when it's at its best, so you're getting those nutrients and it lasts much longer in the freezer than fresh. With frozen, however you do have that associated energy cost of freezing a bag of spinach like this which can take up a fair bit of room, and again cooks down to very little when you use it in a dish, so that's a consideration.
銋ゃ叅
CANNED SPINACH
Canned loses some of that nutritional value in the heating process, but not a huge amount, and this will last you for a long time in your cupboard, plus it's already gone through the wilting process where a whole bunch seemingly cooks down to nothing, so what you're seeing when you drain it is essentially what you're going to get. The only problem with canned spinach is the brine it's kept in, which can end up giving the dish you're using it in a bit more of a salty flavour than perhaps you were expecting.
銋ゃ叅
COST
Spinach tends to lose about 33% of its weight when it's cooked, so when looking at cost, you should consider the cooked weight of each version
Fresh spinach costs around 63p per 100g and lasts 5-7 days in the fridge
Frozen spinach costs around 26p per 100g and lasts around 3 months in the freezer
Canned spinach costs around 31p per 100g and lasts around 12 months in the cupboard
*Average prices correct as of April 2024
銋ゃ叅
JOHN'S DELICIOUS SPINACH AND BACON PASTA
銋ゃ叅
INGREDIENTS
You Will Need:
- 400g dried pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon
- 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
- 1 can of leaf spinach in water, drained (approx. 265g drained weight) OR 400g fresh/frozen spinach
- 165g cream cheese
- 100-120ml pasta water (saved from pasta cooking)
- The zest of a lemon
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper
銋ゃ叅
METHOD
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes until al dente or according to packet instructions.
- Scoop out some of the paste water and drain.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until a little crispy.
- Add the garlic and stir-fry 10 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the spinach into the pan.
- Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, chilli and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Mix well.
- Add the paste and finally enough of the pasta water to make a the sauce glossy.
- Serve immediately with extra oil for drizzling.
