Traditional Pasta Alla Norma with Eggplants

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

Jump to:

• What is Pasta alla Norma
• What Norma means
• Which pasta for Pasta alla Norma
• Ingredients for the eggplant sauce
• Frying the eggplants
• Making the sauce
• Boiling the pasta
• It is all about the eggplants not been too greasy
• Homemade tomato sauce
• 20 rules to properly cook pasta
• Recipes with eggplants you might also like
• 📋Traditional Pasta Alla Norma with Eggplants

What is Pasta alla Norma

This pasta dish originates from Catania, a Sicilian town located on the slope of the volcano Etna on the Ionian Sea. The volcanic earth around Catania makes the land very fertile and this, coupled with the intense heat of the sun, means that the region produces some of the most fantastic fruits and vegetables, in particular tomatoes, eggplants, almonds, and pistachios.

These ingredients are regularly used in many Catanese recipes and especially the eggplant in dishes like caponata, arancini, parmigiana, 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 go 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 trips to eat there.

What Norma means

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

A well-known comedian from Catania, Nino Martoglio (1870-1921) compared the perfection of this 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.

Which pasta for Pasta alla Norma

Traditionally Pasta alla Norma is made with Maccheroni rigati or Rigatoni. Short tubular pasta with stripes. This shape helps to absorb the sauce and create the perfect bite for the eggplants.

If you cannot find Maccheroni, you can also use Penne or Ziti.

Ingredients for the eggplant sauce

• 2 eggplants
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups  homemade tomato sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 basil leaves
• 1 tsp of salt
• 4 tbsp ricotta salata

Why Ricotta Salata and not Parmesan

Parmesan is a cheese from Parma located in the North of Italy, while Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian dish and therefore it uses a local cheese. Ricotta Salata is salted and aged sheep ricotta.

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

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

Frying the eggplants

1. Cut the eggplants into chunks
2. Pour 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and bring it to a very high temperature
3. Stir fry the eggplants
4. Until they are soft and brown stirring occasionally

5. Transfer the eggplants into a tray lined with kitchen paper
6. Cover with more kitchen paper to absorb all the oil

Making the sauce

7. In the same frying pan add the chopped garlic cloves
8. Remove the garlic once it is brown
9. Add the tomato sauce and the basil leaves
10. Let it simmer for 10 minutes
11. Mix with the eggplants and stir

Boiling the pasta

12. Bring to boil a pan full of water with a tbsp of salt
13. Once the water is boiling pour the pasta and boil for the amount of time specified on the package, minus 1 minute
14. Once ready, drain the pasta and pour the sauce over it
15. Stir until it is all well combined
16. Transfer into a serving dish
17. Sprinkle with ricotta salata

It is all about the eggplants not been too greasy

The success of this recipe 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, 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 cut the eggplants into 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 to the flavour so flavourless oils are not suitable for this recipe.
• Before you add the eggplants to the oil, make sure the oil is extremely hot. It will cook the eggplants faster and therefore reduce the amount of oil absorbed.
• Once the eggplants are cooked, lay them on top of 2 layers of kitchen paper towel and cover with the same. Press down the paper towel to make sure that oil is released and absorbed by the paper.
• Cook the tomato sauce in the same oil that you fried the eggplants in as it is full of flavour (in the video I don't use the same oil for the sauce because I was shooting 2 recipes at the same time, apologies!).

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

20 rules to properly cook pasta

If you are a novice cook, here are some important points you need to know to properly cook pasta:

1. Pasta should be boiled in salted water, adding salt after doesn't work
2. Add the salt as soon as you put the pan with water on the heat, so you don't forget
3. If you don't remember if you added salt to the water, taste the water
4. Use 1 tbsp of salt per 4 quarts - 4 liters of water which should be enough for 1lb - 500 gr of pasta
5. Make sure the pot is large enough so the water doesn't overflow once you put in the pasta
6. If you put the lid on the pan, the water will get to the boiling point faster
7. Do not add oil to the water
8. The water should be boiling hot before you put the pasta in
9. Use a good pasta brand. My favorites are (in this order): Rummo, Garofalo, De Cecco. Barilla is my least favorite one but better than any other unknown brands
10. When you add the pasta, the water may stop boiling as the pasta lowers the water temperature. Put the lid on the pan until the water starts boiling again
11. Once the water boils remove the lid otherwise the foam will overflow from the pan
12. Stir the pasta from time to time
13. Keep the heat high so the water boils all the time
14. Always cook the pasta 1 minute less than what is written on the pasta box
15. Taste the pasta and drain immediately when "Al Dente" meaning still firm and chunky
16. Never leave the pasta floating in the water once it is cooked!!!!!
17. As soon as the pasta is drained, season immediately and stir.
18. If for whatever reason the seasoning is not ready, season the pasta with some extra virgin olive oil and stir
19. Once the pasta is ready and seasoned, it has to be served and eaten immediately
20. No parmesan in pasta with seafood, you can sprinkle toasted grated breadcrumbs or almonds

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Recipes with eggplants you might also like

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

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