It’s Saturday lunchtime here in Teramo (Abruzzo, Italy), and the weekend mood has already started.

So I decided to cook one of my favourite traditional dishes
from this region: Maccheroni alla Chitarra.

 MACCHERONI ALLA CHITARRA (AL RAGÙ)

Servings: 4

Prep
Time: 40 minutes

Cook
Time: 60 minutes

Total
Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Allergens: eggs, dairy, gluten

Ingredients

For the pasta:

·        2½ cups (300 g) durum
wheat flour or semolina

·        3 large eggs

·        Pinch of salt

For the ragù:

·        2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil

·        1 small onion, finely chopped

·        1 small carrot, finely chopped

·        1 stalk celery, finely chopped

·        5 oz (150 g) ground
beef

·        5 oz (150 g) ground
pork

·        ½ cup (120 ml) dry
white wine

·        1 can (28 oz /
800 g) crushed tomatoes

·        Salt and black
pepper, to taste

To serve:

·        Grated Pecorino cheese, to taste

Instructions

Make the pasta

1.      On a clean work surface,
form the flour into a mound and create a well in the center.

2.      Add the eggs and salt to the
well and gradually incorporate the flour using a fork.

3.      Knead the dough for 10–12
minutes, until smooth and elastic.

4.      Wrap the dough and let it
rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

5.      Roll the dough into thin
sheets (about 2–3 mm thick).

6.      Cut into strands using a
pasta chitarra or slice into thick strands with a knife.

Make the ragù

7.      Heat the olive oil in a wide
pot over medium heat.

8.      Add onion, carrot, and
celery and cook for 6–8 minutes, until soft.

9.      Add the ground beef and pork
and cook, breaking it up, until browned.

10.   Pour in the wine and let it evaporate
completely.

11.   Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt
and pepper, and reduce heat to low.

12.   Simmer uncovered for 45–60
minutes, stirring
occasionally.

Cook and serve

13.   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

14.   Cook the fresh pasta for 3–4
minutes, until al dente.

15.   Drain and toss immediately with the ragù.

16.   Serve hot, topped with grated Pecorino.

Notes & Tips

·        The ragù should
be thick and rich, not watery.

·        Fresh pasta cooks
very quickly—do not overcook it.

·        This dish is
traditionally served for Sunday lunch.

US-Friendly Substitutions

·        Durum
flour: Use all-purpose flour
if needed, though texture will be softer

·        Pecorino: Pecorino Romano or aged Parmesan

Make-Ahead & Storage

·        Ragù can be
prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.

·        Sauce freezes
well for up to 3 months.

·        Fresh pasta is
best cooked immediately, but can be refrigerated for 24 hours.

I grew up in Teramo and dishes like this are still very
common in home cooking here.

Do you know the tool used to cut this pasta?