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
- 11 ounces twice-milled semolina flour (Italian Semola Rimacinata) (300g) (sub 00 flour or regular semolina)
- 3 large eggs (pasta gialla eggs or other richly-colored eggs preferred) (150g)
- (Optional ingredient) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (15g)
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 pasta with flour and form it into a nest until ready to cook. If you want to freeze the chitarra to cook later on, place the nests on a parchment-lined tray and pop it into the freezer for 30-45 minutes, or until completely frozen. Once frozen, place the nests into an airtight container and use within 1 to 3 months for best results. To cook chitarra pasta, add the nests to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until al dente or about 4 to 5 minutes, Enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have semolina flour you can use my 00 flour egg pasta recipe instead, or if you want to use a combination of semolina and 00 flour, you can use this pasta dough recipe over here.
If the chitarra dough is too stiff you may add a splash of water or extra virgin olive oil, or even a little more beaten egg to help give it a little more moisture. You want a pliable, but sturdy dough. FYI, homemade pasta dough that uses semolina flour only will not be as soft or pliable as 00 flour dough.
If the chitarra dough is too difficult to knead, cover the dough for 30 minutes or so and allow it to relax which will help make it easier to knead. Alternatively, you may let your stand mixer do all the kneading for you, but be sure to watch it and if the dough climbs the hook, stop the machine periodically to pull it off the hook and continue kneading.
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.
Best Way to Store Homemade Pasta Chitarra?
As mentioned above, you can safely store homemade chitarra pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend storing the pasta in the refrigerator because the humidity and/or smells from the fridge can affect the texture and flavor of homemade pasta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Mix & Stir
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounce serving
