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Home » Ingredients » Summer Vegetables

Pasta Alla Norma Authentic Sicilian Eggplant Recipe

Published: Oct 11, 2019 · Modified: Aug 8, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Recipe Jump to Video
Pasta Alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian recipe made with fried eggplants, tomato sauce and sprinkled with salted ricotta. Do it right and will not be oily.
Pasta Alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian recipe made with fried eggplants, tomato sauce and sprinkled with salted ricotta. Do it right and will not be oily.
Pasta Alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian recipe made with fried eggplants, tomato sauce and sprinkled with salted ricotta. Do it right and will not be oily.

Pasta Alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian pasta recipe from the city of Catania, where eggplants are grown in the fertile soil of the Etna Vulcano. The pasta sauce is made with simple ingredients fried eggplants, tomato sauce, and basil, and sprinkled with salted ricotta. A delightful vegetarian meal perfect for a hot Summer, pasta alle melanzane.

Pasta alla Norma a fork holding a bite
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Frying the eggplants
  • Making the sauce
  • Boiling the pasta
  • Top tips
  • Homemade tomato sauce
  • What true Norma means
  • More Italian eggplant recipes
  • 📋Pasta Alla Norma Authentic Sicilian Recipe

This Pasta alla Norma recipe originates from Catania, a town located on the slope of the volcano Etna on the eastern coast of Sicily on the Ionian Sea.

The volcanic earth around Catania makes the land very fertile.

This, coupled with the sun's intense heat, means that the region produces some of the most fantastic fruits and vegetables, particularly tomatoes, eggplants, almonds, and pistachios.

These ingredients are regularly used in many Catanese recipes, especially the eggplant in dishes like caponata, arancini, eggplant Parmesan, baked pasta with eggplants, pasta with swordfish ragu and eggplants, pizza with eggplants locally called Pizza Alla Norma.

If you ever decide to go to Catania and arrive at the airport Fontanarossa, I suggest you visit the famous rosticceria Caffe Parisi where you will find all these dishes made with eggplant.

It is one of the best in Catania, and the Catanesi take special dining trips.

For more appetizers with eggplants, check out the story: 15 Authentic Italian Eggplant Recipes

Caffe-Parisi Sicilian Carretto and armer

Ingredients

Rigatoni pasta

The authentic pasta alla norma is made with Maccheroni rigati or Rigatoni, short tubular pasta with stripes. This shape helps absorb the sauce and create the perfect eggplant bite.

If you cannot find Maccheroni, you can also use other short pasta like Penne or Ziti.

Maccheroni or Rigatoni pasta in a pan

The other ingredients are:

  • 2 eggplants
  • ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups homemade tomato sauce or Mutti tomato sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 4 tablespoon ricotta salata, which is different than fresh ricotta cheese
eggplants in a basket

Why Ricotta Salata and not Parmesan

Parmesan is a cheese from Parma located in the North of Italy; this classic Sicilian dish uses the local salty ricotta salata cheese.

Ricotta Salata is salted and aged ricotta made with sheep's milk.

It is not as sweet as Parmesan and is slightly more bitter and acidic, like Pecorino Romano. It gives a nice contrast to the fried eggplants.

If you cannot find Ricotta Salata, use Pecorino and, as a last resort, Parmesan

Fried eggplant slices and ricotta salata

Frying the eggplants

  1. Cut the eggplants into chunks
  2. Pour ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan and bring it to a very high temperature
  3. Stir fry the eggplants
  4. Until they are soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally
stir fry the eggplants
  1. Transfer the eggplants into a tray lined with kitchen paper
  2. Cover with more kitchen paper to absorb all the excess oil
absorbing the excess oil

Making the sauce

  1. In the same frying pan, add the chopped garlic cloves
  2. Remove the garlic once it is brown
  3. Add the tomato sauce and the basil leaves
  4. Let it simmer for 10 minutes
  5. Mix with the eggplants and stir
making the sauce

Boiling the pasta

  1. Bring to boil a large pot of salted water
  2. Once the water is boiling, pour the pasta and boil for the amount of time specified on the package, minus 1 minute
  3. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and pour the cooked pasta into the frying pan with the sauce immediately
  4. Stir until it is all well combined
  5. Transfer into a serving dish
  6. Sprinkle with ricotta salata and eat

If you want to follow the Italian rules for cooking pasta, you can read the recipe: How to cook pasta like an Italian

making pasta alla Norma

Top tips

The success of this traditional Sicilian pasta dish is based on the eggplants not being too greasy.

Eggplants are like sponges and will absorb all the oil, so here are some important tips:

  • Buy nice firm eggplants, and make sure they don't have too many seeds. If they do, throw them away, buy new ones, and restart.
  • You can use round or normal eggplants. I use the round as I chop the eggplants into chunks. If you want to use eggplant slices, buy regular, long slim eggplants
  • Many recipes call for the eggplants to be salted and pressed for 1 hour into a strainer with a weight to drain their bitter juices. I don't do that anymore, as the eggplants you buy now are no longer as bitter as they once were. It is up to you.
  • To fry the eggplants, it is important to use extra virgin olive oil. It adds flavor, so flavorless oils are unsuitable for this recipe.
  • Before you add the eggplants to the oil, make sure the oil is extremely hot. It will cook the eggplants faster, reducing the amount of oil absorbed.
  • Once the eggplants are cooked, lay them on top of 2 layers of kitchen paper towel and cover them with the same. Press the paper towel to ensure the paper releases and absorbs excess oil.
  • For a rich tomato sauce, cook the tomato sauce in the same oil that you fried the eggplants in, as it is full of flavor
  • For a lighter sauce, you can use roasted eggplant instead of fried
Eggplants

Homemade tomato sauce

In this recipe, I use my own homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes; you can find the recipe on the link and find out how to preserve it for the winter.

If you want to know how in Italy we make pasta with a simple tomato sauce, you will find the recipe: Simple Tomato Sauce Recipe

homemade tomato sauce in jars

What true Norma means

Norma in Italian is short for Normativa - rules, meaning made within the rules, but the dish's name probably has a different origin.

A well-known comedian and Sicilian writer from Catania, Nino Martoglio (1870-1921) compared the perfection of this iconic pasta dish to a famous opera from Vincenzo Bellini (originally also from Catania) "La Norma" that was presented in 1831 at the Scala theatre in Milan.

Norma has, with time, become the synonym of any Italian recipe where fried eggplants are added: Pizza, Arancini, baked pasta, the choice is vast.

pasta alla Norma with a fork getting a bite

More Italian eggplant recipes

For more eggplant recipes, check out the category: Vegetables

Also check the recipes below:

  • Grilled zucchini eggplants and peppers
  • Baked Eggplant Pasta Anelletti
  • Aubergine caviar
  • Deep Fried Eggplant Balls
  • Easy Ratatouille Recipe Baked
  • Sicilian Caponata
  • Pasta with Swordfish Ragu and Eggplants
  • Vegetarian Rice Timbale with Grilled Eggplants Recipe
  • Pizza with Fresh Vegetables
  • Traditional Pasta Alla Norma with Eggplants
Pasta with eggplants and Ricotta Salata

If you are making the Traditional Pasta alla Norma, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.

Pasta alla Norma authentic recipe

📋Pasta Alla Norma Authentic Sicilian Recipe

Pasta Alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian pasta recipe from the city of Catania, where eggplants are grown in the fertile soil of the Etna Vulcano. The pasta sauce is made with simple ingredients fried eggplants, tomato sauce, and basil, and sprinkled with salted ricotta. A delightful vegetarian meal perfect for a hot Summer, pasta alle melanzane.
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 people
Print Rate SaveSaved!
Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggplants
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups homemade tomato sauce homemade
  • 3 leaves fresh basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cloves peeled garlic cloves
  • 4 tablespoon ricotta salata or pecorino or Parmesan
  • 1 lb Maccheroni pasta
  • 1 tablespoon salt for pasta
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Equipment

  • Cutting board set
  • Vegetable Peeler
  • Pasta pan 8-Quart 3-Piece
  • All-Clad Sauce Pan 3-Quart
  • All-Clad Fry Pan
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Instructions

Making the sauce

  • Cut the eggplants into chunks
    2 eggplants
  • Pour ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and bring it at a very high temperature
    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Stir fry the eggplants until they are soft and brown stirring occasionally
  • Transfer the eggplants into a try with kitchen paper and cover with more kitchen paper to absorb all the frying oil
  • In the same frying pan add the chopped garlic cloves
    2 cloves peeled garlic cloves
  • Remove the garlic once it is brown
  • Add the tomato sauce, salt, and the basil leaves
    2 cups homemade tomato sauce, 3 leaves fresh basil leaves, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Let it simmer for 10 minutes
  • Add the eggplants and stir

Making the pasta

  • Bring to boil a pan full of water with a tablespoon of salt
    1 tablespoon salt for pasta
  • Once the water is boiling pour the pasta and boil for the amount of time specified on the package, minus 1 minute
    1 lb Maccheroni pasta
  • Once ready, drain the pasta and pour over the sauce
  • Stir until it is all well combined
  • Transfer into a serving dish
  • Sprinkle with ricotta salata and serve
    4 tablespoon ricotta salata or pecorino or Parmesan

Video

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Notes

The success of this traditional Sicilian pasta dish is based on the eggplants not being too greasy. Eggplants are like sponges and will absorb all the oil, so here are some important tips:
  • Buy nice firm eggplants, and make sure they don't have too many seeds. If they do, throw them away, buy new ones, and restart.
  • You can use round or normal eggplants. I use the round as I chop the eggplants into chunks. If you want to use eggplant slices, buy regular, long slim eggplants
  • Many recipes call for the eggplants to be salted and pressed for 1 hour into a strainer with a weight to drain their bitter juices. I don't do that anymore, as the eggplants you buy now are no longer as bitter as they once were. It is up to you.
  • To fry the eggplants, it is important to use extra virgin olive oil. It adds flavor, so flavorless oils are unsuitable for this recipe.
  • Before you add the eggplants to the oil, make sure the oil is extremely hot. It will cook the eggplants faster, reducing the amount of oil absorbed.
  • Once the eggplants are cooked, lay them on top of 2 layers of kitchen paper towel and cover them with the same. Press the paper towel to ensure the paper releases and absorbs excess oil.
  • For a rich tomato sauce, cook the tomato sauce in the same oil that you fried the eggplants in, as it is full of flavor
  • For a lighter sauce, you can use roasted eggplant instead of fried
  • Traditionally Pasta alla Norma is made with Maccheroni rigati or Rigatoni. Short tubular pasta with stripes. This shape helps absorb the sauce and create the perfect eggplant bite. If you cannot find the Maccheroni, you can also use Penne or Ziti.
  • Ricotta salata is less sweet than Parmesan and slightly more bitter and acidic like the Pecorino Romano. It gives a nice contrast to the fried eggplants. If you cannot find Ricotta Salata, use Pecorino and as a last resource Parmesan.

Nutrition

Calories: 691kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1235mg | Potassium: 1183mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 603IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Corina Blum

    October 14, 2019 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    This sounds delicious! I love eggplants in a pasta sauce so will definitely follow your recipe next time as they do normally absorb so much oil!

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 14, 2019 at 2:10 pm

      you are welcome. Yes, they do

      Reply
  2. Michelle

    October 14, 2019 at 6:57 pm

    5 stars
    I bet this is very delicious! I'm always looking for new recipes that include eggplants. I love them, but they can be tricky to cook with. I'll give this sauce a try! I love the flavors in it. Thank you for the background information on the dish too. Always so much history with Italian dishes.

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 15, 2019 at 5:45 am

      Thank you Michelle. If you like eggplants, I am sure you will like it.

      Reply
  3. Julie

    October 14, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh! This looks dreamy! I love a good, hearty pasta dish any time... but especially this time of year. Can't wait to try.

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 15, 2019 at 5:46 am

      Thank you, it is so satisfying

      Reply
  4. Lesli Schwartz

    October 14, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    5 stars
    Love anything with eggplant, and sounds so great in a pasta sauce! Will be trying this recipe for sure!

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 15, 2019 at 5:46 am

      Thank you Lesli

      Reply
  5. Beth Neels

    October 15, 2019 at 5:19 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a delicious way to enjoy eggplant! I love it, but my husband, not so much! He even loved this delicious pasta dish! Thanks for a great recipe, Laura!

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 16, 2019 at 5:27 am

      Thank you Beth

      Reply

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