Recipe: Spaghetti with bacon, arugula, two cheeses, caramelized onions and limoncello

This perfect summer pasta is a tangle of flavors and textures, with creamy fresh sheep's cheese, sweet caramelized onions, salty bacon and slightly bitter greens. Arugula, which is spicy when eaten fresh, loses its bite when it wilts from the heat of the pasta. And the limoncello, a lemon-flavored Italian liqueur, adds a bright note to the whole bowl.

This dish takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare and makes a wonderfully festive dinner.

Spaghetti with bacon, arugula, two cheeses, caramelized onions and limoncello

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 6 slices of bacon, diced (or use 1/2 pre-cooked crumbled bacon)
• 2 large onions, sliced into half-moons (cut them pole-to-pole so they don't fall apart when they cook)
• 6 oz brebille (soft, fresh sheep's cheese) or fresh goat cheese (chevre)
• 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano, parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 6 cups arugula, roughly chopped
• 4 Tbsp limoncello
• salt and pepper

Saute the bacon and onions together over medium-high heat until the bacon is crisp and the onions are tender and starting to brown (but not burned). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package until it is al dente.

Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, put the two cheeses, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until smooth, adding a few ladles of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up. The cheese mixture should have the consistency of heavy cream.

When the pasta is done, drain it, pour it into the bowl, and toss it with the cheese mixture until the strands are coated. Add the onion-bacon mixture and the arugula, and toss again. Add the limoncello and toss once more. Let sit for one minute to wilt the arugula. Serve immediately with extra pepper ground on top.