Pasta alla Norma
This wonderful recipe combines the flavors of Sicily like eggplant, tomato sauce , ricotta salata and extra virgin olive oil into the perfect vegetarian main dish. It's a delicious summery dish, which can be enjoyed paired with a Southern Italian white wine for an absolutely delicious meal.
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 777kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni ziti, or penne
- 1 lb eggplant round and firm
- ½ to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 ½ lb tomatoes chopped. canned are fine if fresh Roma tomatoes aren't available
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh
- ½ cup basil leaves
- ½ to 1 cup salted ricotta grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant into ½ inch thick slices and then lay them out to drain as described above by sprinkling them with kosher salt, then after 30 minutes rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- Once your eggplant has drained and been patted dry, add extra virgin olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat.
- Add several slices of eggplant to the pan and lightly fry the eggplant, turning to fry evenly on both sides. You will need to cook the eggplant in batches so that it cooks properly.
- Sprinkle a pinch of oregano on the eggplant as it cooks.
- Cook until both sides of the eggplant are golden, then remove and place on a plate and cook the next batch (do not drain on paper towels).
- When the last batch is golden, add all cooked eggplant back to the pan along with a little more olive oil if necessary and then add the garlic and turn the heat down.
- Once the garlic is cooked, add the peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Start a pot of boiling water for the pasta and add salt to the water. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente and then drain the pasta, setting aside one cup of pasta water.
- Tear or chop up half of the basil and stir into the tender eggplant tomato sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Next pour the sauce over the pasta and toss.
- If necessary you can add a little of the pasta water to get the sauce to evenly coat the pasta.
- Plate the pasta with sauce and sprinkle a generous amount of grated ricotta salata to taste and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Expert tips
Grilling Eggplant
If you choose to grill the eggplant instead of frying it, we recommend removing the eggplant and only adding it back in to the tomatoes after they are almost fully cooked to prevent the eggplant breaking down too much.
Roasted Eggplant
Another alternative is doing roasted eggplant by cutting it into small eggplant cubes, tossing in olive oil, sprinkling with salt and then roasting at 400° F until tender and golden brown. The roasted eggplant should be added to the dish at the same time as you would add the fried eggplant.
Dried red chili or red pepper flakes
These can also be added with the garlic if you like a little spiciness to the dish and it is often added in traditional recipes.
Super quick version of Norma sauce
For a faster version of the dish, start with oil and add garlic, and then add cubed eggplant and tomatoes at the same time. This preparation technique will be less flavorful but can be ready in just about the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Serving: 120g | Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 966mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1738IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg
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