Homemade Maccheroni Alla Chitarra – a delicious recipe with flour, eggs, kosher salt, processor. Easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
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Measure 2 full cups of unsifted flour (or weigh out 10 ounces), and dump it all in the food-processor bowl; process for a few seconds to aerate.
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Beat the eggs with the salt in a spouted measuring cup.
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With the food processor running, quickly pour in all the eggs through the feed tube.
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Process continuously, as a dough forms and gathers on the blade and cleans the side of the bowl.
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If the dough does not come together or clean the bowl after 30 seconds or so, stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons more flour.
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Process for a few more secondsand add more flour if necessaryuntil a fairly firm ball of dough forms.
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Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand for a minute or more, until it is smooth and firm.
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If its at all sticky, incorporate more flour as you knead.
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Press the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour.
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(You can refrigerate the dough for up to a day, or freeze for a month or more.
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Defrost in the refrigerator, and return to room temperature before rolling.)
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Cut the dough in four equal pieces.
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If using a pasta machine: Roll each piece through the machine at progressively thinner settings, to form long wide strips, about 1/8 inch thick (no thinner) and as wide as your machine allows.
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If the strip grows longer than the strings of your chitarra, cut it crosswise into two shorter strips.
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To roll by hand: Lightly flour the work surface and your rolling pin.
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Flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle with your palm, and roll it from the center, gradually lengthening it into a broad strip about 1/8 inch thick.
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Dont roll the dough too thin or longer or wider than the strings of your chitarra.
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To cut maccheroni: Lay a strip of dough over the strings of the chitarra (on a two-sided chitarra, use the more widely spaced strings).
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Using gentle but constant pressure, roll your pin lengthwise up and down the pasta, so the strings cut it cleanly into strands of maccheroni that fall onto the tray of the chitarra.
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Dust the freshly cut strands with flour, and gather them into a loose nest on a floured tray.
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Cut all the strips into maccheroni, and collect them in floured nests.
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Leave the tray uncovered at room temperature until you are ready to cook the pasta.
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To cook a whole batch of maccheroni: Bring to boiling a large pot of well-salted water (at least 6 quarts with a tablespoon or more of salt).
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Using your hand or a colander, shake excess flour off the nests of maccheroni, and drop them into the pot.
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Stir and separate the strands as the water returns to a rolling boil, then cook the pasta for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
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(See the many sauce recipes that follow for instructions on dressing maccheroni alla chitarra.)
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To freeze the cut maccheroni: Set the whole tray in the freezer.
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When the nests are solid, seal them in airtight plastic bags and pack in a container, so they dont get crushed.
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(Frozen maccheroni can be dropped right into the pasta cooking pot; stir gently to separate the strands as they soften.)
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Some of you are probably wondering, Do I really need an imported chitarra to make this maccheroni?
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I say yes.
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You and your family will find it great fun to cut pasta dough through a chitarra and then enjoy the pleasures that only fresh homemade maccheronis distinctive textural character can give.
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Fortunately, it is now easy to find and purchase a sturdy chitarra (some made in Abruzzo) for under $50 in the United States.
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I recommend a traditional chitarra, with two sets of strings on the frame, which allows you to cut very thin pasta strands (especially nice for cooking in soups) as well as perfect thick, four-sided maccheroni.
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Make them once, and I am certain you will use your chitarra often!
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(And remember that, just as a guitar needs to be tuned before playing, so does the maccheroni chitarra.
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Before each use, pluck on the strings and make sure they are taut and properly set in their notches on the chitarra frame.
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Most chitarre have instructions for tightening the strings, usually a simple matter of turning the knobs that hold them.)
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If you dont yet have a chitarra, though, you can make the pasta dough, roll it, and cut strands with the cutting attachment of your pasta machine or by hand.
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And if you only have dry pasta, you can certainly use what you have in place of fresh maccheroni with any of my sauce recipes.
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Spaghetti or linguine will always work well, and recently Ive noticed that many top pasta manufacturers now make long dry spaghetti alla chitarra, with thick, square-cut strands that resemble maccheroni cut on a chitarra.
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Although they will never replace homemade maccheroni in my kitchen, they are a fine pasta to use in any of the recipes here.
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The resourceful cooks of Abruzzo are never at a loss for quick and delicious ways to dress maccheroni alla chitarra or the excellent dry pastas made in the region.
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As these recipes for uncooked dressings show, they can take whatevers on handlocally pressed olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, their beloved hot pepper, a cluster of fresh herbs, a pinch of saffron, a handful of nuts, or other native ingredientsand produce a wonderful sauce in minutes.
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The foundation for these simple saucesand the endless variations you might enjoy in Abruzzois the distinctive fruity olive oils of the region.
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Extra-virgin oils from the provinces of Teramo, Pescara, and Chieti have achieved DOP (name-protected) status and are available here (see Sources, page 387).
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Certainly these superb oils will give your maccheroni (or other pasta) a truly authentic Abruzzese flavor, but any top-quality Italian extra-virgin olive oil will make a delicious sauce, too.
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Please dont limit your enjoyment of these sauces to pasta, because they are marvelously versatile condiments for meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables, too.
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They need only a whirl in the food processor and they will keep for weeks.
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I hope you try them all!
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
No additional tips available.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 4 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed, 4 large eggs, 1/3 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot, A food processor fitted with a steel blade; a pasta-rolling machine or wooden rolling pin; a wooden chitarra (see Sources, page 387).
Yes, Homemade Maccheroni Alla Chitarra falls under the General category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently before serving.