The Guitar..a Love Story..

copyright 2010, art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

They say that the  guitar is a  romantic instrument…this could not be truer than in Abruzzo..where every kitchen has one..well sort of ..I mean’ la chitarra’ the instrument called so because of it’s similar wooden frame and steel thin wires.. responsible for some of my great loves..’pasta a la chitarra’ the dish that began my love affair with pasta..and…(well wait more to come)…
On special Sunday mornings I would watch as my nonna..’strummed  that pasta  dough into a culinary creation..with the dexterity of a musician.(not to mention the passion).each piece would look like a perfect piece of art..I remember the dishes of ‘pasta a la chitarra’ covered with just a splash of tomato sauce and a dusting of parmigiana-reggiano..a prettier picture there could not be…
Flash forward to…..A warm summer night.. in the mountains of Abruzzo..eating al fresco on the terrace of a mountainside resort…’pasta a la chitarra con tartufi’ (with truffles)..the first meal I had with my fiance…it was love at first sight..the pasta or him..or both..

Here’s a recipe..
2 cups semoilina flour
2 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
4 tblsps extra virgin olive oil
tepid water as needed
On pastry board, place flour and make a well in center. Place in eggs, olive oil and pinch of salt, spoonful of water. Begin to work in the ingredients by hand. Working the dough until a smooth ball is formed. If needed add a little more water to make dough smooth. If dough is too sticky sprinkle a bit more flour on the surface. Knead dough for 15 minutes. Form into a ball and leave covered in bowl for 15 minutes. Sprinkle semolina flour on pastry board and roll dough out to a thin pasta dough. Once the dough is rolled out cut it into sheets the length of your ‘chitarra’. Place sheet on top of chitarra and roll with a rolling pin. Run your fingers over exposed strings at end of chitarra and pasta will fall to bottom of the chitarra. Let pasta dry on sheet sprinkled with semolina flour for approximately 1 hour. Then cook pasta for a 2-3 minutes or until al dente in lightly salted boiling water. Top with your favorite sauce.
For more recipes get your copy of the award winning book selected as The Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by Gourmand Cookbook Awards-The Basic Art of Italian Cooking:Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition.
Hope to see you on Sept 9-12 at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival
Visit me at OpenSky
http://twitter.com/marialiberati
Maria
www.marilaiberati.com
where food meets art, travel & life!