Cinque Terre Dreaming: Spaghetti al Limone

Just before starting graduate school, I had the great fortune of being able to take 17 days to backpack through Europe.  It was my first trip to "the Continent", my first big vacation with my then boyfriend (now husband), and because of all that, has always had a romantic, magical quality in my memory.  Every place we went was a revelation, the realization of all of the sights, smells, and sounds I'd always dreamed of immersing myself in.  And when it comes to food, none more so than Italy.

Based on the recommendation of my dear friend Julie, who had recently gone to Italy for her honeymoon, we decided to spend a few nights hiking through the Cinque Terre.  The Cinque Terre are five remote coastal villages in the Italian Riviera connected only by an old train and a rugged hiking trail.  Due to their remote location, these villages have retained much of their historical character and a visit here is like taking a trip back in time:

The view of Vernazza from the hiking trail.

We spent a night in Vernazza during our trip and our dinner that night was one of the best meals I've ever had.  Paul had a ravioli dish with pesto (since this region is famous for it's pesto), and I enjoyed another local specialty, the pasta with lemon sauce.  I loved it so much that I cleaned every last bite from my plate.  It's the perfect pasta for a summer's day, or anytime you find yourself dreaming of the Italian Riviera.

Spaghetti al Limone (Spaghetti with Lemon)

1 lb spaghetti
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons (between 1/3 and 1/2 cup lemon juice, depending on the size of the lemons)
1 cup reserved pasta water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 oz. chopped basil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente (according to package directions).  Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water to use in the sauce.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Zest two lemons (I don't own a zester, so I used the small side of my cheese grater):

Be sure to stop zesting once the dark yellow parts of the lemon rind are gone - the light white parts of the rind are very bitter and shouldn't be used in the pasta sauce:

Add 1/2 Tbsp of lemon zest and garlic to the skillet with olive oil and saute until garlic just begins to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes:

Freshly squeeze the juice of 3 lemons (this should come out to between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of juice, depending on the size of the lemons you use):

Add lemon juice and reserved pasta water to skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste:

Cook until liquid reduces by about half.  Add pasta, basil, and parmesan and toss to coat pasta:

Freshly grated parmesan.

Spoon pasta into bowls to serve and garnish with more parmesan and remaining lemon zest.  Enjoy!