Sautéed spinach with garlic and chilli (Spinaci ripassati)

1. Wash the spinach twice thoroughly in plenty of cold water and snap off the thicker stalks.

2. Put it in a large pan with just the water clinging to the leaves, cover and wilt over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it has completely collapsed.

3. Tip it into a colander, let it cool a little, then squeeze out the water firmly with your hands and chop roughly.

4. In a frying pan, fry the garlic cloves, crushed in their skins, and the chilli flakes in the olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is golden and fragrant.

5. Add the spinach, season with salt and toss for 3-4 minutes so that it takes on the flavour of the oil all over.

6. Remove the garlic and serve the spinach hot as a side dish.

Tip: "Ripassati" means "tossed again" - the secret is squeezing it well, otherwise it turns watery; a few drops of lemon juice before serving go nicely with it.