Handcrafted from beechwood in Pretoro, a medieval village in the hills of Abruzzo, the chitarra is Italy’s secret for fresh, rustic pasta strands that cling wonderfully to sauce. The chitarra is a sturdy, rectangular box wrapped with parallel wires similar to guitar strings—chitarra means “guitar” in Italian—that span from edge to edge. There are two sides, one narrow and one wide, so you can make thin spaghetti or thick tagliatelle and fettuccine. We love how simple the chitarra is—no hefty electric machines or rickety manual makers required. Place flour-dusted pasta dough on the chitarra strings and roll the included wooden pin over the sheet; after a few passes, strips of pasta will fall to the board below. The resulting pasta is rough-hewn and square-sided, the perfect texture and shape for holding a variety of sauces, like Bolognese, amatriciana and arrabbiata. It’s a great heirloom or gift for pasta lovers who wish to learn a traditional Abruzzese pasta-making method.

Net Weight: 3.7 pounds (with pin)
Dimensions:
Chitarra: 18 inches x 9 inches x 3.5 inches
Pin: 15.5 inches long
Materials: Beechwood
Place of Origin: Italy

Care: To clean, wipe the wires and wood with a dry cloth to clean off excess flour or pasta bits. If you need to wash the chitarra, rinse with water and then completely dry before storing. You can oil the wood and wires with mineral oil, if necessary. Do not use soap or add to the dishwasher. If the strings loosen, tighten with a screwdriver until the wires are taught. Do not over-tighten.

How to Use: Liberally dust fresh pasta dough with semolina flour and add to the chitarra. Use the “narrow” side for thinner strands and the “thick” side for strips similar to fettuccine. With the included pin, apply pressure and roll against the pasta sheet; you may need to make a few passes before the pasta strands are fully cut. If any strands are stuck, “strum” the wires to help the pasta fall through. Try the pasta in our , , and the spaghetti-like pasta of the same name .

Meet the Maker: Giovanni Iezzi. Every month, Giovanni Iezzi builds 1,500 chitarras in his Pretoro workshop. He follows a 15-step process—which starts with cutting, trimming and planing beechwood and ends with Iezzi stringing dozens of metal wires by hand. Check out our  to learn more about Iezzi, the chitarra’s history and how it’s used in Abruzzese kitchens.