Cutting Maccheroni alla Chitarra

Maccheroni alla chitarra, a specialty of Abruzzo, is a square spaghetti cut from a durum-wheat flour dough. The dough is cut on a special instrument called a chitarra (as illustrated above), which means “guitar.” The chitarra is a box with metal strings (thus the guitar reference). Sheets of pasta dough are laid over the strings, one at a time, and rolled with a rolling pin to cut the dough. At The International Culinary Center, maccheroni alla chitarra is sauced with Ragù di Carne.

Roll the dough to sheets as if making noodles (see instructions in the recipe for Pasta all’Uovo). Cut the sheets to fit the length of the chitarra. Dust the pasta sheets aggressively with flour and lay the sheets, one at a time, on the chitarra strings.