Recipes
Pasta alla Norma
Sicilian pasta with fried eggplants, rich tomato sauce and ricotta salata (aged ricotta!)
Ingredients list:
- 3–4 cloves of garlic
- Bunch of basil leaves
- 50–100g ricotta salata,
- 1 medium-sized eggplant
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes
- 300–400g penne
- Olive oil
Directions:
Difficulty: Easy
Feeds: 3-4 people
Cooking time: 45 minutes
- Prep the Aromatics: Finely mince the garlic and remove the stems from the basil leaves.
- Salt the Eggplant: Slice the eggplant lengthwise into halves, then into thinner strips. Toss with salt in a bowl and mix with your hands. Let sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture.
- Dry the Eggplant: After 15 minutes, use kitchen paper to dab and remove excess moisture from the eggplant strips.
- Fry the Eggplant: In a pan, shallow-fry the eggplant in olive oil until browned on both sides (about 5–10 minutes). Remove and drain off excess oil.
- Start the Sauce: In a clean pan, add olive oil, minced garlic, and basil stems. Sweat gently for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft.
- Add the Tomatoes: Pour in the San Marzano tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook the Pasta: While the sauce is simmering, cook the penne in heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Finish the Sauce: Add the basil leaves and fried eggplant into the tomato sauce. Mix gently to combine.
- Combine with Pasta: Add the cooked pasta and a generous shaving of ricotta salata. Mix to incorporate and emulsify with a splash of pasta water if needed.
- To Serve: Plate a bowl of pasta, top with a few pieces of fried eggplant, and finish with an extra shaving of ricotta salata.
Product Used
Piccardo & Savorè - Olive Oil (1L)
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