Maccheroni alla Chitarra with Lamb Ragù

• 2½ cups 00 flour
• 3 whole large eggs
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoons semolina flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 oz Pecorino Romano, finely grated

Equipment

• pasta machine
• chitarra pasta cutter
• rolling pin
• large pot
• Dutch oven
• instant-read thermometer
• tongs

Method

1. 1

   Mix the 00 flour and fine salt on a clean work surface, make a well, and add the eggs. Use a fork to draw in the flour, then knead until the dough is smooth and firm, about 15 minutes. If it feels crumbly after several minutes of kneading, dampen your hands and keep working rather than adding a lot of water.

   
2. 2

   Wrap the dough tightly and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates and the dough relaxes.

3. 3

   Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, about 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the ground lamb. Break it into small pieces and cook until browned and it reaches 160°F (71°C), about 7 minutes.

   
5. 5

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then partially cover and cook for 90 minutes, stirring now and then. The sauce should be thick, with no watery liquid pooling around the lamb. Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaf.

   
6. 6

   Cut the rested dough into four pieces and keep the pieces you are not rolling covered. Flatten one piece and pass it through a pasta machine at its widest setting. Fold and pass it through again until smooth, then reduce the setting gradually to make a sheet about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick. Dust lightly with semolina, lay the sheet over the chitarra wires, and roll a pin across it to cut the square strands. Repeat with the remaining dough, dusting the cut pasta so it does not stick. Allow about 20 minutes for rolling and cutting.

   
7. 7

   Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, about 8 minutes, then stir in the kosher salt.

8. 8

   Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes, stirring once to separate the strands. Fresh chitarra pasta cooks quickly, so check a strand for a firm, tender bite.

9. 9

   Transfer the pasta to the ragù with tongs, adding a splash of pasta water if the sauce needs loosening. Stir in the Pecorino Romano until it coats the strands, about 2 minutes, and serve at once with more cheese if desired.