These “guitar-style” maccheroni are a specialty of the Abruzzi. Actually, they are shaped more like spaghetti than maccheroni. Maccheroni alla chitarra are made by forcing a thin sheet of pasta through a series of steel cords suspended tightly on a wooden utensil much as strings are strung on a guitar. Traditionally they are served with a dense sauce made of lamb and topped with grated pecorino cheese.
© 1989 Fred Plotkin. All rights reserved.