Whoa, what’s with the fancy name – is what you must be thinking? Don’t worry – spaghetti alla chitarra is just a type of noodle, translated it means guitar spaghetti. It has a distinctive shape and is traditionally passed through a chitarra instrument, which looks like a frame strung with music wire. So long story short, this is just spaghetti pie.
But not ANY spaghetti pie, a spaghetti pie that’s noodles are tossed in cream and butter, garlic and parsley. There’s rich olive oil and lots of Parmesan cheese. It’s everything you dream of when you’re craving a delicious, hearty Italian dinner. It’s like your mom’s recipe, but with a modern, scrumptious twist. You know what it really is… it’s just good!
This spaghetti alla chitarra pie is baked in a cast-iron skillet and finished under a broiler so that you get wonderful crunchy texture on top, but the inside remains perfectly tender.
And what better way to top this than with a delicious, warmed marinara sauce. I used Ragu’s Traditional Pasta Sauce, it’s a brand my family has used for years (my mom makes a killer stuffed shell with this sauce), and it’s a perfect compliment to this already delicious dish.
And feel free to make this with any spaghetti noodles. I used spaghetti alla chitarra because it’s a little heartier and holds sauce well, but a bucatini or fettuccini noodles would also be perfect. Bon appetit!
- 1 pound spaghetti alla chitarra pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1.2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- warm Ragu Traditional Sauce, for serving
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set aside.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Read package for cooking times.
- Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, whisk together butter, beaten eggs, cheese, cream, parsley, olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt.
- Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Scape into the prepared skillet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until just set. Remove from oven.
- Preheat the broiler. Broil the pie 6-inches from the heat until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.
- Serve with warm Ragu.
