Maccheroni alla Chitarra

Typical of the region of Abruzzo, this is a long egg noodle made by pressing a thick sheet of pasta dough through a chitarra – a ‘guitar’ of tightly stretched strings or wires. It may be surprising to find a long noodle called maccheroni but this is historically correct – indeed, the word is still in use as a general term for pasta in the south. Traditionally served with a sauce of hot peppers and diced lamb, this pasta has recently broken out of its original terroir and gone global – a favourite among chefs for the ease with which it is made (if you have the equipment), and the way it marries so well with julienne vegetables. Sauté it with thin strips of raw courgette and peeled red prawns and you’re in heaven. The recipe is for another local concoction.