Maccheroni alla chitarra con ragù d'agnello - Guitar pasta with lamb ragù
For a soul satisfying Winter meal, try Abruzzo's trademark pasta, maccheroni alla chitarra. From the majestic Gran Sasso to the Adriatic Sea, this region of Italy has postcard perfect terrain and terrific food. My grandfather, Gaetano Crocetti, was born there, and he never forgot his homeland. One of his favorites was this hearty pasta made with a chitarra (pasta guitar). Known in dialect as lo carrature or maccarunare, this tool is part and parcel of Abruzzese culture.
La chitarra is a wooden box across which evenly spaced metal wires are tightly strung. A sheet of pasta is placed atop the wires, and a matterello (rolling pin) is passed back and forth, cutting the pasta into square edged noodles. Doughs are typically made with semolina, all-purpose flour, or both; all contain eggs, and some call for salt. Some recipes even call for zafferano (saffron), the pride of Abruzzo.
Select a chitarra with "tuning pegs" to allow you to tighten the strings; you must keep them taut in order to cleanly cut the dough. Clean a chitarra as you do your pasta machine, dusting it off after use with a brush or towel.
Buon appetito!
Maccheroni alla chitarra con ragu d'agnello (serves 4):
Ragu d'agnello
Shepherd's food, this is as much about the meat as the sauce, with a rich flavor developed through browning and reduction. Don't rush the ragu!
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, diced finely
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 pound lamb (leg or shoulder), trimmed, chopped in 1/4 inch chunks
3 1/2 ounces pancetta, cut in 1/4 inch dice
28 ounces canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf
6 inch sprig rosemary
pinch peperoncino
flakes salt and pepper
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
Pecorino at the table
Direction: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large non- reactive Dutch oven. Add onions and pinch of salt. Saute until translucent, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, pancetta and peperoncino flakes. Saute until vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized, and pancetta has browned lightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Add lamb and saute until well browned and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add red wine and cook, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan until wine has reduced completely, 5 to 6 minutes. A wooden spatula drawn across the bottom of the pan should leave a broad, dry trail.
Break up tomatoes, and add them along with their juice, stock, bay leaf and rosemary. Partially cover pot and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until thickened and dee- ply colored, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf and rosemary stem. Check for seasoning.
Maccheroni
In order to hold the square edges for which this pasta is famous, the dough must be quite firm. Frankly, I'd say it has a mind of its own! I like to use my food processor.
1 cup semolina
1/2 cup 00 OR all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt semolina or flour for rolling
Place semolina, flour and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse 3 times to combine. Crack eggs into small bowl, and beat lightly. With processor running, add eggs in a steady stream. Allow machine to run as mixture blends and comes together in a ball. If mixture is too dry, add a bit of water. Process 20 seconds. Turn dough out onto counter and knead about 3 minutes, until smooth. Form into disk, wrap in plastic and allow dough to rest 30 minutes.
After dough has rested, cut off 1/4 of the dough, keeping unused portion wrapped.
By hand or pasta machine roll into sheets 1/8 inch thick. Place floured sheet of pasta atop chitarra leaving at least one inch between each end of pasta sheet and ends of strings.
With firm pressure roll a floured matterello back and forth over the pasta sheet paying particular attention to the ends. If you see the wire peeking through the surface of the pasta, just "strum" your finger across the sheet of pasta; it will cut and fall through the strings onto the board below. If the pasta has not been cut, roll a few more times. "Strum" again.
Tip the chitarra to the side, and let maccheroni fall to your work surface. Toss lightly with semolina, gather into nests, and place on semolina lined towels to dry slightly.
Bring 6 quarts of water to boil. Add 3 tablespoons salt. When water returns to the boil add maccheroni. Cook until done, about 3 minutes.
To serve, spoon a cup of ragu onto the bottom of a warmed pasta bowl. Add maccheroni. Toss with ragu and mint leaves. If ragu is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of pasta water, tos- sing until desired consistency is reached. Grate Pecorino over maccheroni and serve.
To read more on technique and extra recipes for this very special pasta, go to my site at www. TheFrontBurner.us and search on corzetti.
Buon appetito!
