I really like micropython for the quick and dirty prototyping, you can use the REPL and send some bytes over SPI interactively. I tried it on the Raspberry Pi Pico and NodeMcu.
Currently, I'm using a Raspberry Pi Pico W with micropython to count pulses from my power meter, to log my consumption.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/microcontrollers/m...