Pasta alla Norma with ricotta salata and basil Recipe
Classic Sicilian pasta alla Norma is pasta with sautéed eggplant, tomato sauce and salty ricotta salata cheese. The dish was supposedly created in honor of the opera “Norma” and to this day is one of the most homey, family-style meals in Sicily. It tastes like a light ratatouille crossed with pasta – perfect for a lazy lunch or dinner with friends.
Pasta alla Norma is the essence of Sicilian home cooking – it smells of fried eggplant, sweet tomatoes and fresh basil, all rounded off with salty, firm ricotta salata. The dish has a story linked to the opera “Norma”, so in Sicily it’s treated as a kind of culinary tribute to local tradition. It tastes like a summery vegetable ragù combined with pasta, but in a much lighter, more herb-forward version.
Chef's tips
Cut the eggplant into fairly large pieces and fry it well in hot olive oil until golden – it should be soft inside but not greasy and mushy. Cook the tomato sauce a few minutes longer than you think, until it loses its raw taste and thickens slightly; only then combine it with the pasta and eggplant. Grate or slice the ricotta salata just before serving, as it dries out quickly and loses aroma.
How to serve
Serve immediately after mixing with the sauce, with an extra handful of basil and ricotta on top – it’s ideal for a lazy Sunday lunch with a bottle of light red wine, such as Nero d’Avola. As a side, a simple green salad with wine vinegar or a few olives and a slice of bread to wipe up the sauce is enough. It’s also a very convenient dish for a dinner with friends – you can prepare the sauce and eggplant in advance and cook the pasta just before your guests arrive.
Ingredients
- pasta you can use another short pasta shape - 350 g
- eggplant medium-sized - 2 piece
- chopped canned tomatoes or tomato passata - 400 g
- ricotta salata you can replace it with hard pecorino or Parmesan - 80 g
- garlic - 2 cloves
- fresh basil - 1 handful
- olive oil - 5 tablespoons
- salt to taste -
- freshly ground black pepper to taste -
- sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes - 0.5 teaspoons
Preparation
- Wash the eggplants, trim the ends and cut into cubes about 1.5 cm in size. Lightly salt, toss and set aside for 10–15 minutes so they release some liquid and lose their bitterness.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta. When it starts boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about half a cup of the cooking water, then drain the rest.
- Rinse the eggplant under running water to remove the salt and dry thoroughly with paper towels so it doesn’t splatter in the pan.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and fry for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are soft inside and lightly browned on the outside. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the finely chopped garlic. Fry for about 30 seconds over low heat, just until it softens slightly; be careful not to let it brown.
- Add the canned tomatoes, a pinch of salt, pepper and the sugar. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the fried eggplant to the sauce, stir and cook together for another 3–4 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Mix thoroughly, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if needed so the sauce coats the pasta better.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add torn basil leaves and gently toss again.
- Serve immediately, sprinkling each portion with grated ricotta salata or another hard cheese.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days in a sealed container. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or olive oil, stirring gently so the pasta doesn’t break up. This pasta also tastes good at room temperature, almost like a Sicilian pasta salad.
