Spaghetti alla chitarra or Molisan creoli
Typical of Molise and Abruzzo cuisine, spaghetti alla chitarra are also called "creoli" in Molise. They are made by pressing fresh pasta dough through a special tool called a chitarra, which cuts the dough into square-shaped strands.
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta ingredients
- 300 gr semolina flour
- 100 gr 00 flour
- 4 nr eggs
Sauce ingredients
- 3/4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 nr shallot small
- 150 gr pancetta diced
- 250 gr peeled tomatoes
- 100 gr olives black
- 1 tbsp parsley or basil
- qb pepper black
- qb salt
- pecorino or Parmesan
Instructions
- Place the flour on the work surface, make a well in the center, crack the eggs into it, add a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt.
- Knead the dough vigorously and for a long time until it becomes smooth and elastic, then let it rest covered with a cloth for 15 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 2 millimeters, cut into rectangular pieces, place them on the wires of the special guitar, and pass the rolling pin over it several times to cut the pasta.
- Pinch the strings with your fingers just like a guitar to detach the pasta, and obtain spaghetti-like macaroni with a square section, which you arrange to dry on the floured surface or on a cloth.
- Prepare the sauce by sautéing garlic, onion and pancetta with oil in a saucepan; add wine and let it evaporate, then add olives, peeled tomatoes, parsley or basil, a little water, salt, and cook with the lid on for 1 hour over low heat.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, cook the macaroni until al dente, drain and season with the prepared sauce, sprinkle with grated pecorino or Parmesan to taste, and serve.
Notes
- Replace 100 grams of durum wheat with 100 grams of 00 flour to make the pasta softer.
- If you have a machine for rolling the dough, use the attachment to cut the pasta into spaghetti instead of the traditional guitar.
- Season the macaroni with any sauce like the classic lamb ragù, mixed meatballs, truffle and saffron.