The Easy 30-Minute Italian Dinner I’m Making All Winter Long

Spaghetti alla carrettiera is a rustic Roman pasta dish from the 19th century. It was created out of necessity with a few shelf stable ingredients that were simple, practical, and could be easily brought along while traveling.

Traditionally, the dish is made with olive oil, garlic, dried porcini mushrooms, chili, canned tuna, tomatoes, and parsley. There is a version from Sicily that is much simpler, made with a no-cook sauce. The Roman version is richer, and my version incorporates a few small changes to add more flavor and brightness.

Why I Love Spaghetti alla Carrettiera

I love this dish because it’s super easy and has tons of flavor. I make it when my pescatarian friends come over for dinner because it still has a protein I can enjoy but it’s fish-friendly for them as well. It’s surprising how the mushrooms and tuna make such a meaty and hearty pasta that doesn’t feel heavy.

It’s a great pantry dish to add to your rotation, too, since the backbone of this dish—canned tomatoes, spaghetti, tuna, and garlic—are common pantry staples.

The Ingredients and Easy Tweaks

I used fresh cremini mushrooms for this recipe because they are easier to find than porcinis and you don’t have to soak them. I also increased the amount of garlic because, why not more garlic? The chili flake adds a nice kick. Calabrian chili paste is a great alternative—it’s a bit spicier and has more flavor.

Canned cherry tomatoes are my favorites to use here. They add texture and bursts of flavor. However, you can use any type of canned tomato you like: diced, pureed, crushed, or roasted.

Oil-packed tuna adds a great meatiness to the pasta and makes it more of a main dish. You can substitute the tuna with anchovies, but I recommend scaling back on the salt if you go that route. Adding shrimp would be delicious as well.

The added lemon zest brightens everything up and goes great with the tuna and tomato. You can even add a squeeze of lemon juice if you are feeling extra zesty!

Parmesan or pecorino cheese is optional for serving. Toasted breadcrumbs, which are traditional to the Sicilian version of this dish, would also add great texture and crunch if you’d prefer to keep this dairy-free.