“Pasta alla Carrettiera is a quick, easy, and tasty pasta dish. It is also a very affordable recipe, which is always a plus.

The name of this dish derives from the ancient “carrettiere” or wagon/cart drivers, famous in Sicily not only for their long journeys between towns delivering goods but also for their singing. Of course, they would need sustenance while on the road, and this required ingredients that would not spoil easily – such as garlic, dried peppers, oil, and pecorino. Spaghetti alla Carrettiera is a typical recipe from eastern Sicily and the Valle del Platani area. As usual, there are different versions. For example, around Rome they add mushrooms, while the Valle del Platani recipe includes peeled tomatoes.

My version features a lightly simmered sauce made with garlic, chili pepper, pecorino cheese, parsley, and for good measure, a bit of anchovy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Cost per person 1 dollar and 87 cents (see details in this article).

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti 13 ounces (360 grams)
• Grated pecorino cheese 4 oz
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 fresh red pepper or 1 teaspoon of dried chillies
• 1 clove of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• 1 anchovy fillet in oil – optional
• Salt

Method:

1. Bring water to a boil and add salt. Then, add the spaghetti.

2. Meanwhile, wash and finely chop the parsley along with garlic and chili flakes.

3. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the parsley, garlic, chili flakes, and optional anchovy. Sprinkle with salt and mix, heat for 1 minute.

4. Drain the pasta al dente (reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water). Transfer the spaghetti to a bowl, then add the oil mixture from the pan. Adjust the consistency with a bit of the pasta cooking water.

5. Add the grated Pecorino cheese and a little more pasta cooking water. Stir well.

6. Transfer the Pasta alla Carrettiera to individual plates and serve immediately.

Tips:

This recipe is perfect when you have last-minute guests and want to impress them with a flavorful and authentic Italian dish.

For a more refined finish, I recommend the “mantecatura” or “risotto like” procedure before adding the oil mixture,  which proceeds as follows: About 4-5 minutes before the cooking time indicated on the box, when the spaghetti is still quite al dente, remove most of the pasta water from the saucepan where the spaghetti are cooking and set aside, leaving the spaghetti and about 1 cup of water in the pot where the spaghetti were cooking. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, and adding the cooking water you set apart as necessary, as if you were making a risotto, until the pasta begins to take on a creamy, starch-coated, texture. When the pasta is cooked add the oil mixture and grated pecorino cheese.

You can use other pasta shapes in place of spaghetti, especially if you add other “chunky” ingredients such as mushrooms.

References

Blog Sicilia. (2020, April 27). Spaghetti alla carrettiera classici o al tonno, il gusto della semplicità. BlogSicilia – Ultime Notizie Dalla Sicilia. https://www.blogsicilia.it/food-drink/spaghetti-carrettiera-classici-tonno-semplicita/531541/

Il Cucchiaio d’Argento. (n.d.). Ricetta Pasta alla carrettiera. Il Cucchiaio D’Argento. Retrieved August 23, 2023, from https://www.cucchiaio.it/ricetta/pasta-alla-carrettiera/

La Sicilia in Rete. (n.d.). Cantori alla Carrettiera. Sicilia in Rete. Retrieved August 25, 2023, from https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/cantori-alla-carrettiera/#:~:text=Il%20carrettiere%20era%20un%20trasportatore

Ricette di Sicilia, R. di. (2014, April 28). Spaghetti alla carrettiera siciliana. Ricette Siciliane. https://www.ricettedisicilia.site/spaghetti-alla-carrettiera-siciliana/

Wikipedia. (2022, January 14). Spaghetti alla carrettiera. Wikipedia. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_alla_carrettiera