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1
Mound the flour on a clean work surface and form a well. Break the eggs into the centre. Beat the eggs gently with a fork, drawing in flour from the inner wall until a shaggy dough forms. Work the mass by hand for 10 minutes until smooth, firm, and without stickiness. Wrap in cloth and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it springs back slowly but completely under a thumb press.
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2
Warm the olive oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shoulder pieces and ribs with salt. Lay the pieces in a single layer and brown on all sides without moving them prematurely — the meat must release cleanly from the pan. A deep mahogany crust on every surface is the signal to turn. Remove the browned pieces and set aside.
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3
Deglaze the casserole with the white wine, scraping all browned deposits from the base. Allow the wine to reduce by half — the sharp alcohol note must give way to a soft, rounded acidity on the nose before proceeding.
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4
Return the lamb to the casserole. Add the crushed tomatoes and crumbled peperoncino. The liquid should barely cover the meat; add a small amount of water only if necessary. Bring to a trembling simmer, cover, and cook over the lowest possible heat for a minimum of 3 hours. This is where the dish lives or dies: the shoulder's connective tissue must dissolve entirely and the braising liquid must reduce to a thick, glossy sauce that coats the back of a spoon with no trace of wateriness. Meat that offers any resistance to a fork extended into the thickest piece is not yet done.
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5
Remove the lamb pieces. Pull the meat from the bones in large shreds; discard bones and any cartilage. Return the shredded meat to the sauce and stir to combine. Taste for salt and peperoncino.
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6
Divide the rested dough into four portions. Using a rolling pin, roll one portion to a sheet of 2–3 mm thickness — precisely matching the string spacing of the chitarra. Lay the sheet across the taut strings of the chitarra. Roll firmly over the sheet with the pin, applying even downward pressure, until the strings have cut through and the maccheroni fall through to the tray below. The strings must be taut and evenly spaced; any slack produces pasta that bunches and sticks rather than falling as clean square-section strands. Repeat with remaining portions. Gather the maccheroni loosely and dust with flour.
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7
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the maccheroni alla chitarra and cook for 2–3 minutes. The pasta is done when it is springy and toothsome throughout its square cross-section with no raw flour taste at the centre — it will cook faster than round pasta of the same nominal thickness.
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8
Drain the pasta, reserving a ladleful of cooking water. Add the maccheroni directly to the ragù in the casserole over low heat and toss to coat, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce to a glossy, clinging consistency. Every angle of the square cross-section should carry sauce.