Serve the spaghetti alla chitarra with the little balls for a tasty lunch!

Here is the original recipe for spaghetti alla chitarra with pallottine, a tasty first course with egg pasta, sauce and small meatballs.

To make Sunday lunch (and not only) unique, there is a first course typical of Abruzzo cuisine, easy to make at home. We are referring to spaghetti alla chitarra with pallottine, a recipe closely linked to the tradition of this land. This typical product is one of Teramo’s excellences, which conquers every palate thanks to its simplicity .

We start by creating the egg pasta which, at a later time, is modeled with the guitar or with a pasta machine. Once made, the spaghetti should be seasoned with a tasty sauce and accompanied by small meatballs . They are the delicious “pallottine” that make this first course rich, because they are made with tender beef and fried.

And now… in front of the stove, because we begin!

Preparation for the recipe of spaghetti alla chitarra with balls

1. Start with the dough, sifting the flour which, then, you have to pour onto a work surface, like a fountain . Dig a dimple in the center and fill it with 3 eggs and a pinch of salt.
2. Knead to mix the ingredients and create a firm and homogeneous dough . Place it in a bowl and cover it with a tea towel. Let it sit in a cool, dry place for at least 30 minutes or more.
3. Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Put the minced meat in a bowl, along with 1 egg, pepper, a pinch of salt and grated cheese. Work with your hands to mix everything.
4. Take a little dough at a time and shape it to create balls of maximum 1 cm . Place them on a floured tray.
5. Fill the bottom of a non-stick pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and place it on the stove. Sauté the meatballs here for a few minutes over medium heat . Then, let them cool on a tray covered with absorbent paper.
6. Switch to the sauce. Take a large pot and pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes , over low heat, then add the tomato sauce. Cook for 35-40 minutes , until the sauce shrinks. At the end, season with salt and a few basil leaves.
7. Pick up the dough for the egg pasta spaghetti. Flour a work surface and, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough. Make sure you get thin sheets and a width suitable for the guitar. Flour them too.
8. Place one sheet at a time on the guitar and press with a rolling pin, until you get square section spaghetti. Gradually, transfer the dough to a paper tray to dry and sprinkle with more flour.
9. Once all the spaghetti have been made, the sauce will be ready. Dip the meatballs into the sauce and put the pot back on the stove. Cook over medium-low heat for another 10 minutes .
10. Next, cook the pasta. Fill a saucepan with plenty of water and add salt. When it reaches a boil, dip the spaghetti and boil for about 5 minutes .
11. After having drained them, distribute them on plates and season with sauce and meatballs.

storage

Once seasoned, spaghetti alla chitarra with balls must be consumed immediately. Alternatively, you can freeze fresh raw pasta . Meatballs can also be stored, but alone, in the fridge for 1-2 days .

Another traditional recipe, for particular spaghetti, is that of Sardinian lorighittas .