Chitarrina al Sugo di Gamberi

Chitarrina al Sugo di Gamberi is a pasta dish from the Abruzzo region of Italy, specifically associated with the town of Popoli. The pasta itself—chitarrina—is a thinner, square-cut strand traditionally made by pressing dough through a chitarra (a wire-strung frame), yielding a shape that grips sauce exceptionally well. At **Al Magnozz** in Popoli, as highlighted by creator **Braciamiancora**, the dish is prepared with fresh, house-made chitarrina and a sugo di gamberi that captures the essence of the nearby Adriatic coast.

Key ingredients include succulent gamberi (shrimp), ripe tomatoes, garlic, white wine, extra‑virgin olive oil, and parsley. The best versions are distinguished by the quality of the shrimp—ideally small, wild-caught local crustaceans—and a sauce that is neither too heavy nor too watery; it should cling to the pasta without overwhelming the delicate seafood flavour. The pasta itself must be cooked perfectly al dente, allowing its porous surface to absorb the broth.

Regional variations exist along Abruzzo’s coastline, where cooks may substitute scampi or add a splash of peperoncino for heat. Inland, like in Popoli, the focus remains on the purity of the shrimp and the handmade pasta. A great finished plate is one where the sauce lightly emulsifies with the pasta starch, resulting in a silky, uniformly coated dish that celebrates both the land and sea of Abruzzo.