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Pasta alla Carreterria
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Pasta alla Carreterria

There are countless regional variations on Pasta alla Carreterria; this is how it's done in Rome.
Servings 4 as a first course, 2 as a meal

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce dried mushrooms—porcini, boletes, shiitake
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2–4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 pound linguine (you can also use spaghetti)
  • 1 5-ounce can Italian tuna packed in olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • First, put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Soak the mushrooms until they soften and plump up—probably about half an hour. Remove the mushrooms from the water, chop them coarsely (unless they are already in smallish pieces) and set them aside; reserve the soaking water.
  • Start a pot of salted water for cooking the pasta.
  • In a deep, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil to medium-low. Then sauté the garlic for just a minute. Add the tomato paste and a few tablespoons of the mushroom liquid, then the canned tomatoes (include the juice from the can). Stir and simmer until the sauce is thickened—about 10 minutes. If it seems too thick, thin with mushroom liquid or some water—even the pasta cooking water.
  • Cook the pasta—add the linguine to boiling water, stir well so the pasta doesn’t clump together, and cook to al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, flake the canned tuna with a fork and add it to the tomato pan. Add in the olive oil from the can too! Stir and heat everything together gently for a minute or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. If the pasta is not ready yet, keep the sauce warm over a very low flame.
  • Add the cooked, al dente pasta to the sauce. Toss well, adding a little of the cooking water, if needed, and serve at once.