Spaghetti alla Chitarra

Description

Spaghetti alla chitarra is a variety of egg pasta typical of the Abruzzo region in Italy, with a square cross section about 2–3 mm thick. The name of this spaghetti comes from the tool (the so-called chitarra, literally “guitar”) this pasta is produced with, a tool which gives spaghetti its name, shape and a porous texture that allows pasta sauce to adhere well. The dough consists of durum wheat semolina and eggs, but no added salt. It is then worked and, after a rest of about 30 minutes covered, rolled flat with a rolling pin. The dough is then placed on the chitarra and pushed through with the rolling pin, so that the strings of the “guitar” cut it into strips. Pasta makers from Abruzzo bring down the cut dough by passing their fingers over it, as they would “play a guitar.”

Spaghetti alla chitarra is a pasta that calls for a bit of bite to it as it needs some strength to carry the hearty, rich sauces it usually accompanies — chunky ragu, particularly made from young lamb, a staple in Abruzzo’s cuisine.