The Original Spaghetti and Meatballs (Pasta alla Chitarra con Pallottine)

In towns across the Abruzzo region in central Italy, we learned to make a local specialty: pasta alla chitarra con pallottine, the ancestor of Italian American spaghetti and meatballs. Pasta alla chitarra, the pasta used in Italy, is a long strand shape that’s squared off instead of round like spaghetti, and the meatballs are marble-sized orbs that get tangled in the pasta and are so small they don’t require cutting (pallottine translates as “pellets” or “small balls”). Pasta alla chitarra is available in many supermarkets, but if you’re not able to find it, bucatini works nicely, as does spaghetti, but ideally, use a brand that is bronze die-cut, which leaves the noodles with a rough, porous surface that better grips the sauce. Meatloaf mix, a combination of ground pork, beef and veal, is ideal for tender, flavorful meatballs. If the meat counter doesn’t offer meatloaf mix, 8 ounces each of ground pork and 80 percent lean ground beef can be used in its place. Browning a portion of seasoned meat mixture, which includes both egg and Parmesan, along with the aromatics, creates drippings in the pot that lend the sauce rich, deep, meaty flavor.