Pasta alla Norma

This is one of those traditional Italian pasta dishes that everyone recognizes and according to my husband it is a pasta dish that I do not make often enough. There are many stories as to how this pasta actually got it’s name, but the basic recipe which was created in Sicily is usually similar to this one.

What sets this recipe apart from other pasta dishes is the ricotta salata cheese that tops it, which can now be found in most Italian specialty stores. If it is impossible to fund ricotta salata, I’d suggest using a very sharp Pecirno Romano cheese although the flavor will be different.

For this sauce I usually choose penne or rigatoni type of pasta shape. I like to use Mutti brand chopped tomatoes for my sauce as they have a fresh tomato flavor. In making ricotta salata, the milk curds and whey used to make this cheese are pressed and dried even before the cheese is aged, giving this pure white cheese a dense but slightly spongy texture and a salty, milky flavor that is somewhat like a dry feta cheese.


Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma

Yield: Serves 4 - 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

A traditional Sicilian pasta dish that always includes eggplant and ricotta salata.

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound Short Dry Pasta Such As Penne or Rigatoni
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Small Onion, Finely Chopped
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
  • 1 (28oz) Can Chopped Tomatoes ( I prefer Pomi brand)
  • 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Basil
  • 3 Small Eggplants, Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
  • Oil For Frying
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
  • 2 oz. Ricotta Salata Cheese
  • Fresh Basil Leaves To Garnish

Instructions

  1. To make the sauce, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy saucepan, and saute the onions until tender.
  2. Add the garlic and hot pepper flakes, stir, then add the chopped tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
  3. Cook for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
  4. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, and while it is cooking fry the eggplant in 1/4 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet until golden and tender.
  5. Drain on paper towels and fold into the pasta sauce.
  6. Drain the pasta once it is cooked al dente and return it to the pan with half the sauce.
  7. Cook over medium heat until piping hot, and then serve in bowls, spooning the remaining sauce over the pasta.
  8. Sprinkle with the grated ricotta salata and garnish with basil leaves.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 8g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

One Comment

  1. One of my all time favorite dishes, and I have been making it for decades.  However, frying the eggplant is no longer an option due to our advanced years and health issues.  Add to that, people today just don’t enjoy fried foods as much as we used to, so I started oven roasting my eggplant.  I still cubed them the same old way, but i no longer salt them at all.  I add them to a large shallow roasting pan and adding about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, i hand mix them all together, trying to have every cube oiled lightly.  They are roasted in a preheated 400F oven for about 40 minutes.  Crispy and delicious!  And not greasy at all!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.