Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is without any doubt the most famous traditional pasta recipe
from Sicily. Find the right ingredients, follow my instructions, and surprise
your guests with this authentic Sicilian jewel. Buon appetito!

Servings: 4 people

Author: Roberto

Prep Time
30 minutes

Cook Time
1 hour, 10 minutes

Total Time
1 hour, 40 minutes

Course:

Primo

Cuisine:

Italian Sicilian

Keywords:

Pasta summer recipe basil ricotta cheese Sicily Aubergines Eggplants

🧂 Ingredients

400 gr pasta

rigatoni is my favorite choice
1 eggplant (aubergine)

the most authentic is the variety from Vittoria, in Sicily
150 gr salty ricotta cheese

better if from sheep's milk
1500 gr fresh tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
q.s. basil

according to taste
q.s. salt

for the pasta water and to prepare the aubergine
q.s. EVO oil

to fry the aubergine

Instructions

1 Start your pasta alla Norma preparing the tomato sauce. Cut your fresh tomatoes
in halves and put them in a pot, with a pinch of salt, 3 cloves of garlic and
some basil leaves. Cook at very low heat for about 30 minutes.
2 Filter the tomatoes using a vegetable mill, then cook again the resulting sauce,
adding one more garlic clove and some fresh basil. After 45 minutes your sauce
will be ready for the recipe's next steps.
3 Now, time for the Queen of the recipe, the aubergine! (This is from my
kitchen-garden, very proud of it!) Cut it into thick (about half inch) slices
and then into 4 pieces.
4 It is not a real pasta alla Norma if the aubergine is not fried! Fry the slices
in hot olive oil, then make them dry using some paper towel.
5 In the meanwhile, cook "al dente" your pasta and drain it into a large pan with
the tomato sauce prepared before and a spoon of the EVO oil used to fry the
aubergine.
6 Add the fried aubergine slices in the pan and mix with the wooden spoon. You can
now serve the pasta into your plates, ready for the final touch…
7 … one of the most delicious cheeses ever, a good salty ricotta!
8 Add a basil leaf to garnish (here it's allowed, since the flavor is already part
of the recipe) and your first authentic pasta alla Norma is ready!