This is lovely, strong-tasting, and quite complex. It’s a wonderful side dish but can also serve as the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1 cup long-grain rice

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 1/2 cups stock, preferably homemade (pages 160–163), or water

　　1 pound fresh spinach, trimmed, washed, and drained but still wet

　　Tiny grating of nutmeg

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

　　1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano or crumbled feta cheese

　　

Step 1

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan with a lid over medium heat. A minute later, add the rice along with some salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the stock, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is done.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, put the remaining oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the spinach and some salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it wilts. Continue to cook until most of the liquid is gone; stir in the nutmeg and the lemon.

　　

Step 3

Toss the cooked rice with the butter and put on a platter; stir the cheese into the spinach, then immediately put on top of the rice and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.