Name: Pasta alla Norma
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400g rigatoni; 2 large eggplants (cut into 2cm cubes); 1 can (400g) San Marzano peeled tomatoes; 2 cloves garlic (sliced); Ricotta salata for grating; Fresh basil; Extra virgin olive oil; Salt; Chilli flakes

Recipes

Pasta alla Norma

By littlelane

Sicily's most celebrated pasta, named after Bellini's opera because it was considered perfect. Crispy fried aubergine, rich San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh basil, and crumbled ricotta salata over bronze-cut rigatoni. The aubergine must be properly fried until golden don't rush or cut corners. Get it right and you'll understand why Sicilians consider this dish a national masterpiece.

LL

Written by

littlelane

Ingredients list:

3–4 cloves of garlic
Couple of basil leaves
50–100g ricotta salata,
1 medium-sized eggplant
1x 400g can tomato (I used passata)
300–400g Sedani
Very good EVOO

Directions:

Difficulty: Easy
Feeds: 3 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 eggplantinto discs. 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 EVOO, crushed garlic cloves, and basil stems. Sweat gently for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft.
Add the Tomatoes & Eggplant: Pour in the tomatoes, (breaking them up if necessary) and fried eggplant. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Cook the Pasta: While the sauce is simmering, cook the Sedani in heavily salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
Finish the Sauce: Add the basil leaves 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, and very good EVOO.