Spinach is one of those ingredients that disappears into a dish without complaint, which is exactly why it belongs in so many different ones.
Raw, it holds up under a zesty BBQ chicken salad or a heirloom tomato burrata without wilting before it hits the table. Blended into a tropical smoothie, you barely know it’s there. Stuffed into pasta shells or rolled into lasagna with ricotta, it becomes the thing that makes a rich baked pasta feel a little more balanced.
Spring is when fresh spinach is at its best, but baby spinach from the market works hard year-round.