The pallottine go into the sauce raw and poach there, so they stay tender and the tomato takes on the flavour of the meat; keep them marble-sized, because the pleasure is catching several in one forkful. Lamb alongside the beef gives the sauce a gentle pastoral note. Cook the chitarra for only 2 to 3 minutes: the square strands should keep a firm core.
Make ahead The sauce with its pallottine keeps well for a day in the fridge and reheats gently, so you can spend the day itself on the pasta.
Spaghetti alla Chitarra con Pallottine
Total 2 hr 30 min · Prep 1 hr · Cook 1 hr · Serves 4
Method
Use four of the five eggs for the dough, keeping the fifth for the pallottine. Knead the flour and four eggs into a firm, smooth dough; wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Mix lamb, beef, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, half the Pecorino, salt, and pepper. Roll into pallottine no bigger than a marble; cold hands help.
Roll firmly across the strings so the cut strands fall into the frame below. Soften the onion and garlic in the oil with the chile; add the tomatoes, crushing them, and the basil. Simmer 15 minutes.
Slide the raw pallottine into the simmering sauce. Cook gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the meatballs reach at least 71.1°C in the centre. Do not stir for the first 10 minutes; shake the pan gently instead.Slide the raw pallottine into the simmering sauce. Cook gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the meatballs reach at least 160°F in the centre. Do not stir for the first 10 minutes; shake the pan gently instead.
Roll the pasta to the thickness of the chitarra strings’ gap, lay each sheet on the chitarra, and press through with the rolling pin. (No chitarra: roll and hand-cut square-edged spaghetti.)
Boil the chitarra in well-salted water, 2 to 3 minutes; it should keep a proud core.
Toss the pasta with the sauce in the pan, pallottine folded through, loosening with pasta water. Serve with the remaining Pecorino.
Equipment
Chitarra Pasta Cutter · OptionalNo chitarra? Roll the sheet and hand-cut square-edged spaghetti.
Rolling PinDoes double duty: rolling the sheet and pressing it through the strings.Our pick
Sauté Pan2 options
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Estimated per serving
- Calories
- 935 kcal
- Protein
- 44.3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 86.9 g
- Fat
- 45.9 g
- Fiber
- 5.3 g
Per serving · 1/4 of the recipe Ingredient-based estimate; brands and preparation change the result. Includes the full sauce and meatballs. Unmeasured pasta-water salt makes sodium uncertain.
Nutrition sources: CREA Centro di ricerca Alimenti e Nutrizione · USDA Agricultural Research Service
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