Spaghetti alla chitarra literally means “guitar spaghetti,” and the variety is so-called for the tool used to make it, which is a rectangular wooden frame with wires called “the guitar.” The wires cut the pasta dough into square-shaped noodles, which results in an unusual shape, but one that's particularly good at capturing the sauce.
Chef Carlo Cracco, a beloved Italian chef whose namesake restaurant in Milan's galleria holds two Michelin stars, shares his recipe for an innovative riff on spaghetti al pomodoro. He elevates one of the most basic pasta preparations to new heights by incorporating pine nuts and a green tomato reduction.
The recipe calls for pine nut paste which can be found in specialty gourmet shops. If you can't source it, you can purée raw pine nuts in a blender until they take on a pasty consistency.
Spaghetti alla Chitarra With Green Tomatoes and Pine Nuts
Serves: 4
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
9 oz. spaghetti alla chitarra
11 oz. green tomato extract (obtained with an extractor or by blending green tomatoes and passing the juice through a sieve)
3 Tbsp. pine nut paste (see the note above about how to substitute if you can't source it)
2 Tbsp. butter, cold
1⁄4 cup pine nuts, toasted
fine and coarse salt
white pepper
Method
Place the tomato extract in a pan and bring it to a boil, then continue to reduce the extract over medium heat.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, then add it to the tomato reduction.
Cut the butter into small chunks and add it to the spaghetti, stirring quickly over the heat to create a creamy sauce. Season with salt if needed. The butter should be cold as the temperature contrast provides a thermal shock that makes the sauce creamier.
Finish with ground pepper, pine nut paste (sold in specialty shops), and toasted pine nuts.
(ph Guido Barbagelata)