What is Chitarra Pasta?

Chitarra is the Italian word for "guitar", but when speaking of chitarra as it pertains to food, Pasta alla chitarra ( also known as maccheroni alla chitarra, Tonnarelli Romana, or in english 'guitar spaghetti' ) is a variety of egg pasta made with semolina flour originating from the Abruzzo region of Italy in the provinces of Chieti and Teramo. This square spaghetti is typically between 2-3mm thick and is made using a square pasta cutter known as 'La Chitarra' ("the guitar tool" in english) because of its wires that cut the pasta.

Is Chitarra Pasta the Same as Tonnarelli?

They are essentially the same fresh egg pasta. Spaghetti alla chitarra is the Abruzzese name, and tonnarelli is the Roman one, and both are square-cut egg pasta made by pressing a rolled sheet through wires on a chitarra tool. The main difference is size: the thin Teramano chitarra is finer, while Abruzzo's larger quadratto cut lines up almost exactly with Roman tonnarelli, which tends to be just slightly thicker.

As mentioned above, depending on whether you're referencing chitarra as food or as a musical instrument, the meaning of chitarra will either be a guitar (the musical instrument) or as a pasta tool (the spaghetti guitar or wired wooden box used to cut homemade spaghetti alla chitarra pasta from Abruzzo, Italy). Chitarra in English means "guitar" in Italian and the chitarra pasta tool resembles the strings of the guitar, hence where its name comes from.

Can You Freeze Pasta Chitarra?

Yes, you can freeze chitarra pasta in nests directly on a parchment-lined (or wax paper-lined) tray until frozen solid (about 30-45 minutes) . Once frozen, remove the nests and place them into an airtight container for 1 to 3 months. This is how both my mother-in-law and her sister (Zia Linda) were taught .

Best Way to Store Homemade Pasta Chitarra?

Freezing is the best way to store homemade chitarra pasta, and it's how both my mother-in-law and her sister (Zia Linda) do it. You can air-dry fresh egg pasta instead, but I don't recommend it, especially for a thicker cut like chitarra and tonnarelli. It has to dry all the way through until brittle, or the egg and moisture trapped inside can spoil, and thick strands tend to crack and dry unevenly. Freezing is easier and safer, and it keeps the texture like fresh. I also don't recommend the refrigerator, since the humidity and smells can affect the texture and flavor of homemade pasta, especially the longer it's stored.

Can You Make Chitarra Pasta Without a Chitarra?

Yes. If you don't have the chitarra tool, use the spaghetti or tonnarelli cutter attachment on a pasta machine, or roll the sheet up loosely and cut thin strands by hand with a sharp knife. Or use the typical Pugliese rolling pin called a troccolaturo, which cuts it for you. The strands won't be quite as perfect looking, but they'll cook and hold sauce the same way.

Spaghetti alla Chitarra Recipe (Guitar Pasta From Abruzzo)

Name: Spaghetti alla Chitarra Recipe (Homemade Tonnarelli)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300g twice-milled semolina flour (Italian Semola Rimacinata) (11 ounces) (sub 00 flour); 3 large eggs (pasta gialla eggs or other richly-colored eggs preferred) (150g)

Description

Chewy twirly Abruzzese chitarra pasta is like spaghetti but better! Simple in its design this beautifully square-shaped pasta is no regular spaghetti! Spaghetti alla Chitarra gets its flavor from eggs and its sturdiness from semolina flour giving it an unrivaled ability to hold on to sauces (even heartier meat sauces) because of the special way it's cut.

This handmade pasta has been a staple in my Italian family (Luca's side) for generations and it's so much better than regular spaghetti

Ingredients

300g twice-milled semolina flour (Italian Semola Rimacinata) (11 ounces) (sub 00 flour)
3 large eggs (pasta gialla eggs or other richly-colored eggs preferred) (150g)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

Instructions

Make the pasta dough. Add the semolina flour to a large bread bowl or onto a workspace and make a well in the center. Add the eggs to the well and use a fork to agitate the eggs while also incorporating them into the flour a little at a time until the mixture starts to come together and you can form a dough ball that holds together.
Knead the dough. Knead the dough by hand or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for 10 to 12 minutes, or until much smoother and pliable.
Rest the dough. Cover the dough ball with a bowl (or wrap it in sustainable cling film) and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
Roll the pasta into sheets. Cut the dough ball into 4 equal pieces and working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough using a pasta machine (or a rolling pin) to the desired thickness (usually #5 or #6 on a Mercato or Imperia pasta machine). Cut the pasta sheets slightly shorter than the chitarra strings to allow room for them to expand as they are rolled.
Cut the chitarra. Lay one sheet of pasta at a time on top of the chitarra strings and sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll over the dough 2 to 3 times to cut the dough, then slide the rolling pin across the top of the dough to release the dough from the wire strings. If the spaghetti doesn't automatically release, pluck the strings on one end of the chitarra to release them.
Store or cook the chitarra pasta. Sprinkle the cut pasta with flour and form it into nests. To freeze, place the nests on a parchment-lined tray, freeze 30 to 45 minutes until solid, then transfer to an airtight container for 1 to 3 months. To cook, add the nests to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook to al dente, about 1 1/2 minutes for fresh or 2 1/2 to 3 minutes from frozen (add frozen nests straight from the freezer, no thawing). Enjoy!

Notes

No semola rimacinata? Use my 00 flour egg pasta recipe.

Dough too stiff or dry? Work in a splash of water, a little olive oil, or a bit more beaten egg. You want it pliable but sturdy. Semola-only dough won't be as soft as 00 flour dough, so don't expect the same feel. I don't typically use EVOO in this dough, but it's ok to add a little.

Dough hard to knead? Cover it and let it rest 30 minutes to relax the gluten, then knead again. A stand mixer can do the kneading for you, just watch it and stop to pull the dough off the hook if it climbs.

Cooking: fresh chitarra cooks fast, so taste a strand at 1 minute. Thickness varies a little batch to batch.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rest Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Pasta
Method: Kneading
Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 4 ounce serving
Calories: 324
Sugar: 0.4g
Sodium: 53mg
Fat: 4.5g
Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 55g
Fiber: 2.3g
Protein: 14g
Cholesterol: 140mg