Pasta alla Norma - Eggplant Pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 572kcal
Sicilian pasta alla Norma is a beautifully simple 20-minute eggplant pasta dish that features crispy eggplant, rich tomato sauce and salty ricotta cheese.
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Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 255 ml extra-virgin olive oil approx 1 cup + 1 tablespoon
- 1 garlic clove
- 5 whole canned plum tomatoes
- 120 ml water or the juice of the canned tomatoes approx ½ cup
- 4 basil leaves
- a pinch of brown sugar or a bay leaf
- Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 350 g pasta penne, spaghetti, rigatoni, etc
- 3 tablespoon ricotta salata cheese grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Finely cube the eggplant, and pat the cubes dry with paper towels.
- Heat 1 cup (240 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fold in the eggplant in a single layer and fry it until it’s crispy and golden on both sides, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and arrange the cubes in a single layer on a dish covered with paper towels. Dab the slices with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Slice the tomatoes into half and remove their seeds. Heat a large pan with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the garlic over medium heat. Fold in the tomatoes and stir-fry them for 5 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of warm water , 2 basil leaves and a pinch of sugar (or bay leaf), cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes. Discard the garlic (and bay leaf if using) and season the sauce with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Lightly salt the boiling water, fold in the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it into the pan with the tomato sauce, followed by the fried eggplant cubes and the remaining basil leaves.
- Stir all the ingredients together, sprinkle the ricotta salata all over the pasta and serve.
Notes
If you have a bit of extra time, place the eggplant cubes in a colander and sprinkle them with a little salt, cover with a plate then put a weight on top.
Let it rest for 20-30 minutes. This process will make them sweat off their water (and a bit of their bitterness) so that you don't end up soggy when baked or fried.
Nutrition
Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 1435mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 6mg