Probably the Abruzzese ancestor of the famous Spaghetti and Meatballs.
In Abruzzo, the word maccheroni has always meant “pasta” — so don’t be confused by the name!
This dish dates back to around the 1500s, when pasta sheets were cut by hand using a special grooved rolling pin called “lu rentrocele.” It helped slice thin strands of dough into even shapes long before mechanical pasta cutters existed.
Two centuries later, lu rentrocele was replaced by a wooden frame strung with steel wires called “lu carratur” (from the French carrer, meaning “to square”), the same tool used today to make maccheroni alla chitarra — literally guitar pasta.
Why “Chitarra”?
When the pasta sheet (pettole in local dialect) was placed over the strings, some strands would stick. To make them fall through, cooks plucked the strings just like a guitar — and the name maccheroni a la chitarra was born.
So, this dish is not only a culinary treasure but also a piece of Abruzzo’s cultural and linguistic history. And who knows? It might very well be the ancestor of the Italian-American Spaghetti and Meatballs!
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Rest Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Chitarra Pasta
Option 1 (Traditional Egg Pasta):
5 large eggs
4 cups semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt
Option 2 (Lighter Version):
3 large eggs
3 ½ cups semolina flour
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Water, as needed
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
On a large wooden board, make a mound of flour and create a well in the center.
Crack the eggs into the well, sprinkle salt around the edges, and begin whisking the eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating flour.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding small splashes of water if too dry.
Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to about 1/16–1/8 inch (2 mm) thickness.
Cut the pasta using a chitarra frame or a pasta cutter into spaghetti-like strands. Dust lightly with flour and set aside.
For the Mini Meatballs (Pallottine Teramane)
14 oz ground beef (about 400 g)
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional, for flavor)
1 large egg
Pinch of nutmeg (optional) or 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
Olive oil or water for rolling
Instructions:
In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, salt, Parmigiano, and nutmeg or parsley.
Mix until just combined, then shape into tiny meatballs, about ½ inch (1.5 cm) wide — about the size of your pinky nail!
Lightly oil your hands if the mixture sticks.
For the Tomato Sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ small onion, finely chopped (optional)
½ small carrot, finely chopped
1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
24 oz (700 g) tomato purée (passata)
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
In a large skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto) and cook until softened.
Tip: If onion tends to upset your stomach, add a splash of water while cooking — it becomes milder.
Stir in the tomato purée and season with salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the mini meatballs and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are tender.
🍽️ Assemble the Dish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the chitarra pasta until al dente, about 3–4 minutes.
Drain and toss directly into the sauce to finish cooking for 1 more minute.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Buon appetito!
💡 Tips & Tricks
If you don’t have a chitarra pasta cutter, you can use a spaghetti cutter attachment on a pasta machine.
The meatballs can be lightly fried before adding to the sauce for extra flavor.
This dish pairs beautifully with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine.
🥣 Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 520 kcal |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
Chitarra alla Teramana
Notes
Ingredients
For the Chitarra Pasta
Option 1 (Traditional Egg Pasta):- 5 large eggs
- 4 cups semolina flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 ½ cups semolina flour
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- Water, as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- On a large wooden board, make a mound of flour and create a well in the center.
- Crack the eggs into the well, sprinkle salt around the edges, and begin whisking the eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating flour.
- Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, adding small splashes of water if too dry.
- Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough to about 1/16–1/8 inch (2 mm) thickness.
- Cut the pasta using a chitarra frame or a pasta cutter into spaghetti-like strands. Dust lightly with flour and set aside.
For the Mini Meatballs (Pallottine Teramane)
- 14 oz ground beef (about 400 g)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional, for flavor)
- 1 large egg
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional) or 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Olive oil or water for rolling
- In a bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, salt, Parmigiano, and nutmeg or parsley.
- Mix until just combined, then shape into tiny meatballs, about ½ inch (1.5 cm) wide — about the size of your pinky nail!
- Lightly oil your hands if the mixture sticks.
For the Tomato Sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
- 24 oz (700 g) tomato purée (passata)
- Salt, to taste
- In a large skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto) and cook until softened.
- Tip: If onion tends to upset your stomach, add a splash of water while cooking — it becomes milder.
- Stir in the tomato purée and season with salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the mini meatballs and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are tender.
🍽️ Assemble the Dish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the chitarra pasta until al dente, about 3–4 minutes.
- Drain and toss directly into the sauce to finish cooking for 1 more minute.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
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