When it comes to Italian cooking, Chef Joe Sasto doesn’t like to adhere rigidly to tradition.

Thus, the title of his new cookbook, “Breaking the Rules” (Simon Element), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by San Francisco-native and “Top Chef” alum Sasto, who graduated from the University of California at Davis before going to work for three years at Michelin three-starred Quince in San Francisco, where he was in charge of the hand-made pasta program. From there, he went on to become executive sous chef at Michelin two-starred Lazy Bear in San Francisco.

The book, written with assistance from cook and recipe developer Thea Baumann, is a collection of recipes that Sasto makes at home.

From the first page, his flair for bending or breaking so-called rules in on display.

Consider dishes such as “Fried Halibut and Savory Zabaglione,” in which the classic Italian custard sauce usually poured over berries in a classic dessert gets tweaked with herbs instead to accompany crispy fish instead. Or in his “Crunchy Caesar and Garlic Streusel” that gets punched up with the additions of creamy tahini and Calabrian chili paste. Or in the very restaurant-sounding, but home-cook doable “Rosemary and Blackberry Focaccia” that gets a further boost of sweet-savory richness from the crock of whipped mortadella that’s served with it. Or the inventive take on “Chicken Parm” that’s actually tortelloni with a filling of chicken, tomato, basil, and mozzarella that tastes exactly like nonna’s smothered breaded chicken breast.

When it comes to his “Black Garlic Butter Branzino” with sauteed spinach, it’s as easy as it gets — yet tastes like a $35 entree you’d sit down to enjoy at a nice restaurant.

It takes only one pan, too. Saute spinach in a skillet with olive oil, all the while tossing it with a fork whose tines hold a whole garlic clove. Normally, I just chop up garlic and saute it with spinach. This method is an eye-opener. It gives you a smoother and gentler garlic flavor that fully envelopes the spinach, and allows you to enjoy the silkiness of the cooked leaves without being interrupted by bits and bobs clinging to them. Remove the cooked spinach to serving plates to use the same pan to cook the fish.

The branzino fillets go in skin-side down, letting the skin crisp, before they are flipped over. Thin and firm, they cook up quickly.

Add in the black garlic butter so it melts and foams. This compound butter may just become your new best friend. Softened butter gets mashed up with black garlic cloves, white miso, Meyer lemon zest, and a grind of black pepper to create a complex condiment that’s deeply savory and full of umami.

The black garlic butter recipe makes twice the amount you’ll need for this dish. You can cut the recipe in half. Or just make it all, and store the remainder in the fridge or freezer for another time. It would be delicious on all manner of seafood. Or on roasted vegetables. Or grilled bread.

Transfer the branzino fillets to the serving plates with the spinach, and dinner is served. The moist fish is bathed in a buttery sauce that tastes so fancy that you can barely believe that it was so effortless.

Black Garlic Butter Branzino

(Serves 4)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the fish

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 pound fresh Bloomsdale or baby spinach

Kosher and freshly ground black pepper

4 skin-on branzino fillets

4 tablespoons Black Garlic Butter (recipe follows)

Lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high and stab the garlic clove with the tines of a fork. Stir the spinach into the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often with the garlic clove fork, until the spinach has wilted and cooked down, no more than 2 to 3 minutes. Divide among serving plates and cover with a clean dish towel to keep warm. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

Dry the skin of the branzino fillets with a paper towel then brush with a little olive oil and season with salt. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and place the fish, skin-side down in the pan (depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches or use 2 skillets). Cook, pressing down with a spatula to help the skin make contact with the pan, until the skin is starting to crisp, 1 1/2 minutes. Add the butter and cook until foamy, about 30 seconds, then flip the fillets and cook, tilting the pan a bit and spooning the butter over the fish, until just cooked through, about 1 minute.

Divide the fish among the serving plates. Pour over any black garlic butter left in the pan and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve with lemon wedges.

Black Garlic Butter

(Makes about 1/2 cup)

6 black garlic cloves

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter (preferably cultured), softened

1 tablespoon white miso paste

1 medium Meyer (or regular) lemon, zest grated

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Press the black garlic through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any skins and make a smooth paste. In a small bowl, mash together the garlic paste, butter, miso paste, lemon zest, and black pepper until homogeneous and irresistible.

From “Breaking the Rules” by Joe Sasto

Plus: Lighten the Load, Part I: Neapolitan Fish Stew

More Ways to Use Black Garlic: Black Garlic Barbecue Sauce

And: Portobello Mushroom & Celery Salad with Black Garlic Sourdough Crumbs