Spaghetti alla chitarra with black olive sauce, asparagus and bacon
- Lactose Free
- Energy Kcal 499
- Carbohydrates g 59.5
- of which sugars g 8.2
- Protein g 15.6
- Fats g 22
- of which saturated fat g 4.09
- Fiber g 6.3
- Cholesterol mg 12
- Sodium mg 1120
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Prep time: 60 min
- Cook time: 20 min
- Serving: 4
- Cost: Average
- Note plus the resting time for the pasta
PRESENTATION
Spaghetti alla chitarra al nero di olive with asparagus and pancetta is one of those dishes that's both traditional and fresh. The spaghetti alla chitarra—hailing from Abruzzo—is crafted using a wooden tool called a "chitarra," giving it those distinct square edges. And look, what really stands out? The jet-black color. Not your typical squid ink pasta, by the way. This dramatic shade comes from olive nere—specifically Cellina olives from Puglia. These olives give the pasta dough a rich, inky color and a subtle, earthy flavor. Honestly, using black olive dye for pasta is pretty unique—adds a twist you won’t find in most primi piatti italiani. A great example of how cucina regionale italiana can surprise by mixing local techniques and ingredients.
Across southern Italy, people love to blend traditions. This dish? It’s a perfect mix. The sauce combines tender asparagus, crispy pancetta, and sweet cherry tomatoes. Really good stuff. The salty crunch from the pancetta pairs with the moist strands of pasta fatta in casa—offering a bit of everything in each bite. Even though it might sound fancy, it’s a dish you’d find in a typical home kitchen—not just a high-end restaurant. Folks from Abruzzo might say it’s all about the pasta, while those from Puglia would rave about the special flavor of those inky olives. Pretty much.
With its mix of golden pancetta, deep black pasta, and bright green asparagus, it looks amazing on the plate—and you know what? Tastes even better. It's one of those recipes that really shows what cucina casalinga can do when you start with awesome ingredients from different corners of Italy. You just let them shine together. And here's the thing—it's the spirit of Italian cooking: simple, yet bursting with flavor. Seriously good, and a true nod to the rich culinary heritage of the regions. For sure.
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the spaghetti alla chitarra
- Remilled durum wheat semolina 9.5 oz (270 g)
- Black olives ¾ cup (100 g) - celline
- Water 0.3 cup (70 g) - or olive brine
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp
- for the asparagus cream
- Vegetable broth 2.1 cups (500 ml)
- Leeks 4.4 oz (125 g)
- Wild asparagus 14 oz (400 g)
- Lemon peel - half
- Thyme 3 sprigs
- Extra virgin olive oil 4 spoonfuls
- Fine salt to taste
- for the seasoning
- Pancetta tesa 4 slices
- Cherry tomatoes 8
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 spoonful
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
How to prepare Spaghetti alla chitarra with black olive sauce, asparagus and bacon
To prepare spaghetti alla chitarra with black olive sauce, asparagus, and bacon, drain the olives 1 and blend them with 70 g of their brine water until you obtain a cream 2 3.
In a bowl, sift the semolina and then add the olive pâté 4, knead by hand 5 using gloves to avoid staining your hands, the dough should be quite hard so that the pasta remains al dente. Once you have obtained a homogeneous dough 6 and well mixed, place it in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest in a cool place for half an hour.
Clean the asparagus by removing the tougher final part of the stem 7 and boil them in boiling water 8 for 4-5 minutes with the lid on. Thinly slice the leek 9.
Put it to sauté gently in a saucepan with olive oil 10, it should wilt and not color. Once wilted, to prevent it from coloring, you can add a ladle of Vegetable broth. Remove the asparagus from the water to keep them crunchy and maintain their bright color, immediately immerse them in a bowl with ice water 11. Drain the asparagus, cut them into slices, taking care to set aside the tips for garnishing the dish 12.
Add the sliced asparagus to the leek 13 and season with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and thyme. Blend everything with an immersion blender while adding a ladle of broth and a drizzle of olive oil 14 to obtain a smooth cream 15.
Now take the dough, work it a piece at a time, about 150 g in weight (taking care to wrap the remaining dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying), and roll out the dough by hand with a rolling pin 16 or with a machine for rolling out the dough from the thickest to the thinnest setting (about 1-2 mm). The size of the dough should be rectangular and should rest on the tool without hanging over. Pass the dough through the chitarra to obtain the spaghetti 17, as you cut the spaghetti, you can lay them on a floured tray or the appropriate pasta dryer 18.
which will prevent them from sticking. Wash and cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters 19, cut the asparagus tips in half 20, and set them aside. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan, add the asparagus tips 21.
and the cherry tomatoes 22, sauté them for a couple of minutes, season with salt and pepper. Dry the bacon slices in the pan until they become crispy 23 then cut them into pieces 24.
In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti for 2-3 minutes 25. Drain the pasta 26 into the pan with cherry tomatoes and asparagus tips, let it flavor for a minute, and then turn off the heat. Everything is ready to assemble the chitarra with black olive sauce, asparagus, and bacon: pour the asparagus cream on the bottom of a plate, place the spaghetti on top, and finally garnish with the crispy bacon 27.