Chitarra con Sugo di Agnello
Square egg pasta wires dressed in a slow-simmered mountain lamb and sweet pepper sauce. Also known locally as maccheroni alla chitarra con ragù d'agnello.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Large pasta pot
- •Colander
- •Wooden spoon
- •Tongs
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- 2
Add the diced lamb shoulder and brown well on all sides for eight minutes.
- 3
Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and whole garlic cloves to the pan.
- 4
Cook gently for six minutes until the vegetables soften and turn sweet.
- 5
Stir in the diced red pepper, rosemary sprig, and chilli flakes.
- 6
Pour in the red wine and simmer until the alcohol aroma evaporates completely.
- 7
Add the tomato passata, season with salt, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 8
Cover partially and cook on low heat for seventy minutes until the lamb is tender.
- 9
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
- 10
Drop in the chitarra pasta and cook for three to four minutes until al dente.
- 11
Drain the pasta, reserving a ladleful of cooking water, and transfer to the sauce.
- 12
Toss together over low heat for one minute with grated pecorino cheese and serve.
Chef's tips
Hand-dicing the lamb shoulder rather than mincing preserves the authentic mountain ragù texture. If the sauce thickens too quickly before the meat softens, add a splash of hot water or broth.
Ingredient substitutions
- Pecorino Abruzzese → Pecorino Romano or Canestrato Pugliese, though slightly sharper
- Lamb shoulder → mutton or castrato for a stronger traditional shepherd flavour
Storage
Store leftover ragù in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat the sauce gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using machine-minced lamb instead of hand-cut cubes, which ruins the classic stewed texture.
- •Overboiling fresh chitarra pasta so it loses its characteristic square-edged resistance.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Chitarra con Sugo di Agnello?
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