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Spaghetti alla chitarra with tiny meatballs.
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5 from 6 votes

Homemade spaghetti alla chitarra recipe.

Also known as chitarrine or chitarra alla teramana, this spaghetti alla chitarra recipe comes from the province and city of Teramo in Abruzzo. The tomato sauce contains tiny veal or beef meatballs and the pasta is made using a unique tool called a chitarra (guitar). Of course you can use dried pasta instead.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
To make your own pasta1 hour
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Abruzzo, Central Italy, Italian
Keyword: homemade pasta, meatballs, Spaghetti alla Chitarra
Servings: 6
Calories: 562kcal
Author: Jacqui

Equipment

  • 1 large deep frying pan
  • 1 Rolling Pin if making homemade pasta
  • 1 chitarra if making homemade pasta
  • 1 wood pastry board. if making homemade pasta
  • 1 hand operated pasta machine if making homemade pasta (optional)

Ingredients

For the spaghetti alla chitarra dough

  • 7 ounces Italian 'oo' soft wheat flour
  • 3.5 ounces durum wheat semolina flour
  • 3 eggs (large)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For the tomato sauce

  • 1 carrot finely chopped
  • 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery finely chopped
  • 1.5 pounds tomato passata
  • 1 pinch salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper. to taste (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons Olive oil

For the tiny meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef or veal finely ground.
  • 1 egg
  • 1.5 ounces Parmigiano or Grana
  • 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg
  • salt to taste
  • vegetable oil for frying
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the pasta dough.

  • Sift the ‘00’ flour and semolina flour into a bowl with salt and eggs. Start to beat the eggs with a fork and then mix everything together first using a fork and then with your hands.
  • Once you have the beginnings of a dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a floured work surface, and continue kneading with your hands for 5-10 minutes until it's soft and elastic.  Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Make the meatballs.

  • Put the ground meat into a bowl. Add the egg and then the other ingredients. Start mixing everything together with a fork and then use your hands until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Take very small pieces of the meatball mixture and roll them into tiny balls (1.5-2cm in diameter) using one hand to roll and the palm of your other hand as the rolling surface. Place the meatballs on a flour dusted surface as you make them. You can use oil or water on your hands to make the rolling easier.
  • Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs until they start to brown on all sides. Don’t let them get too brown. Remove the meatballs and place them in a bowl on some kitchen paper to drain the excess oil. You may need to fry the meatballs in batches.

Make the tomato sauce.

  • Chop the onion, carrot and celery finely. Heat some olive oil in a deep frying pan. Sauté the vegetables until they start to soften. Add the tomato passata, stir and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make the spaghetti alla chitarra.

  • Cut off about a quarter of the dough and roll it out into a large rectangle on a flour dusted work surface or by using a hand-cranked pasta machine. Aim for sheets that are about 3 mm or ⅛-inch thick. Usually this is the third or fourth setting on a pasta machine.
  • Dust with semolina flour and then lay the pasta sheet on the chitarra. If your sheet is longer than the chitarra you can cut it so there is space between the top and bottom ends of the dough and the point where the chitarra strings end. Alternatively, fold the overlapping dough onto the strings after you have started to push some of the pasta through with your rolling pin and roll over the turned ends.
  • Roll a rolling pin over the sheet of dough, applying an even amount of pressure from top to bottom. Repeat this motion until the sheet is cut and the spaghetti falls through the strings. Turn the chitarra sideways so the spaghetti slides out through the open side. Drag the freshly cut spaghetti through more semolina flour before setting it aside on a sheet of baking paper or tea towel-lined tray.

Finish and serve.

  • Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to a boil again. Cook the spaghetti alla chitarra until al dente.
  • While the water boils, add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer until heated through. Then remove some of the meatballs and a little sauce to pour over the alla chitarra once plated.
  • When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the remaining sauce and meatballs. Mix everything together carefully over a low heat for a minute or two. Then plate and add some of the extra meatballs and sauce on top of the ready servings. Serve with more grated cheese if required.

Notes

You can use dried spaghetti alla chitarra for this recipe instead of making your own. Many brands make it. Otherwise, use a thick spaghetti, or linguine.
This recipe makes a starter portion for 6 people. In Italy, this spaghetti alla chitarra recipe would be served as a first course or 'primo'.
For tips on what to do with leftovers see the main content above.

Nutrition

Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 880mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2522IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 6mg