Spaghetti alla Carrettiera Recipe (30 Minutes)

Name: The Easy 30-Minute Italian Dinner I'm Making All Winter Long
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste; 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, diced; Salt and ground black pepper; 1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, cherry, diced, or puréed; 1 (4-ounce) can tuna in olive oil, with the oil; 8 ounces dry spaghetti; 2 tablespoons minced parsley; Zest of 1 lemon; Grated parmesan cheese, optional

Why Make This

Spaghetti alla carrettiera is an easy pantry-friendly meal made with canned tomatoes, canned tuna, and spaghetti.
This recipe makes a super quick dinner, coming together in just 30 minutes.
Canned cherry tomatoes add bursts of flavor, but you can use any canned tomatoes you have on hand.

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.

Plate of spaghetti alla carrettiera with cherry tomatoes and herbs on a table — Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

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.

A bowl of spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and herbs next to grated cheese in a small bowl — Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

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.

18 Easy Pasta Recipes You Can Make in Under 30 Minutes

Spaghetti alla Carrettiera

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 2 to 3 servings

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2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, cherry, diced, or puréed
1 (4-ounce) can tuna in olive oil, with the oil
8 ounces dry spaghetti
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
Grated parmesan cheese, optional, for garnish

Boil the water:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Make the sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook until softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms start to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tuna along with the tuna oil and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook until the flavors are blended together and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta:

While the sauce cooks, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions for al dente.
Combine the pasta with the sauce:

When the pasta is ready, use tongs to add the pasta directly to the sauce. Toss to coat the spaghetti in the sauce, adding a splash or two of pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Add the parsley and lemon zest. Top with parmesan, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove over medium heat, adding a little water to keep it from sticking.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
482	Calories
14g	Fat
67g	Carbs
23g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories	482
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	18%
Saturated Fat 2g	11%
Cholesterol 7mg	2%
Sodium 425mg	18%
Total Carbohydrate 67g	24%
Dietary Fiber 6g	23%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 23mg	116%
Calcium 97mg	7%
Iron 5mg	25%
Potassium 720mg	15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.