Pesto Dal Cielo
Cinque Terre: five glorious lands known for beautiful beaches, postcard-perfect hiking, locally made white wine, limoncello, and most importantly, pesto. Originating in Italy in the 1600s, pesto is the gem of the Liguria region of the Mediterranean Coast[i]. It is a green, flavorful sauce, consisting of locally fresh basil, garlic, sea salt, olive oil, pine nuts and two different kinds of Italian cheese[ii]. Pesto can be served with many different types of dishes, including omelets, lasagna, gnocchi, and pasta. Most commonly, it is served with special types of pasta designed specifically for the Riviera-born sauce. In the Liguria region, it is typically served with either Trofie or Trenette noodles. Both are native to the area, but are very different. Trofie are short noodles with a loose curl, while Trenette noodles are long and flat, similar to linguine[iii]. Both are locally celebrated and difficult to find in any other regions of the country.
The perception that Americans have of pesto is something very different than what one should expect when trying pesto in Cinque Terre. In fact, many Americans are not very fond of the pesto they have had in the states because it is too rich. However, with all the hype around this famous and fresh flavor in the beautiful Mediterranean, it is a must-try. Thus, I recommend you order the Trenette al Pesto. It goes perfectly with a caprese salad and a glass of Prosecco, the bubbly white wine native to Northern Italy.
An amazing restaurant in Cinque Terre is one called Dau Cila. It has an incredible ambiance, and a very friendly environment[iv]. It is located in the Riomaggiore Marina. Riomaggiore is one of the “five lands”, and is known for scuba diving, spectacular views and the church of San Giovanni Battista[v]. The restaurant, Dau Cila, comes highly recommended by local bartenders as well as many other local shop owners and waiters. Befriending locals is something that can be very beneficial to your stay. They can give insight on restaurants, nightlife, daytime hikes, and other fun ways to spend your time during your visit.
If you are at the restaurant for breakfast or lunch, the outdoor seating area has beautiful views and a fun and exciting atmosphere. The marina is the center of tourism for the town of Riomaggiore. By sitting outside, you will get to do quite a bit of people watching, as well as enjoy a beautiful day under a shaded patio. If you are there for dinner, the indoor seating is just as wonderful, although does it lack the impeccable waterfront views from the courtyard. However, if it is nighttime, the spectacular views are not visible anyway, and getting the inside experience is definitely worth it. It is recommended to eat a later dinner, as it will be easier to get seating. It is also much more typical of Europeans to eat late meals, so by eating a few hours past normal dinner time, you are doing it “the European way.”
All of the outdoor seating overlooking the water is normally very crowded, and by choosing to sit outside, you will miss out on the cave-like setting of the inside of the restaurant. Dau Cila is built into the rocks over the water, and the walls surrounding the tables are made up of painted white rock with low ceilings. If you sit at a table right up against the natural wall, your back is literally against the side of an ancient cliff. It is well lit with bright white tablecloths and chairs, white walls, and wood floors. It is loud and upbeat, yet also has a family-friendly atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the service at this restaurant is not very efficient, but patience is a virtue and it will surely be worth the wait. When the food finally arrives, you will be amazed that it looks like a work of art than something to eat. The caprese salad is especially beautiful, and your all of your senses instantly become filled with enthusiasm. The Trenette al Pesto is placed on a small, white, glass plate. The pile of noodles and potent sauce are placed in the very center, with not one spill or drip on the perfect, shiny plate. The noodles are intertwined in a way as if they were all supposed to come together as one and were never made to be individual noodles. It is like a woven basket made of trenette pasta. It is so simple; yet so beautiful.
Never will you get so much satisfaction out of a meal that is so plain and, dare I say, bland. The taste is much lighter than the pesto typically found in The United States. Though less rich, it is more flavorful. It will make your taste buds dance with more joy than any sauce you have ever tried. The nutty flavor is unlike any other typical Italian flavor. It is not creamy, but instead, transparent and tastes incredibly fresh. It is as though the sauce was made only minutes before put onto the plate, and the pasta was made fresh that morning. It tastes like the basil was picked just up the street, and taken straight into the kitchen to make the sauce right there on my plate. The garlic is present, but just barely. It does not overpower the taste of the basil and pine nuts at all. It has the perfect balance of sweet from the basil and olive oil, and salty from the sea salt that is perfectly accompanied by the ocean air. The decadent caprese salad accompanying the dish consists of the freshest, cold tomatoes, mozzarella and balsamic that are also locally grown. The meal, including the Prosecco wine, will be one of the freshest meals you will get in Italy, both the salad and pasta alike.
As mentioned before, it is absolutely nothing like American pesto. The pesto you may be familiar with often has an overwhelming garlic taste, and is creamy, with a similar consistency to alfredo sauce. It is hard to even call pesto a sauce because it has no comparisons to other Italian pasta sauces. With that being said, it is a lot lower in calories. A traditional red pasta sauce has around 92 calories per serving[vi], whereas a freshly made pesto sauce only has around 34 calories per serving[vii]. You will surely need the energy from the pasta to help you walk up 300 some stairs to get to your hostile or hotel, since everything is built up the side of the cliff. This is what makes Cinque Terre so beautiful, but it is a very physical task, which luckily will keep you from hiding out in your room.
Stories have circulated about the head chef at Dau Cila being able to recite everyone’s specific orders to them if he is seen outside of the restaurant after hours. This shows a lot about the Italian culture, and how much passion and effort goes into every dish made. Perhaps the Dau Cila chef is a bit boastful, but he has confessed that he has won awards for the best pesto in Cinque Terre. That might be saying a lot, but regardless of the restaurant, the fresh pesto consumed in the Liguria region will be one of the best meals you have ever had.
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