Best Pasta alla Norma Recipe (VIDEO)
Pasta alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian eggplant pasta dish that is so simple yet absolutely delicious. With this recipe, I’ll show you how to make pasta alla norma EXACTLY like the Italians do, with tender eggplant, sweet tomato sauce, salty ricotta salata and fresh basil. This classic eggplant pasta recipe will blow your mind, it’s so easy to make at home but tastes like you ordered it in a trattoria in Sicily. Let’s get cooking!
What Is Pasta Alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta dish from Sicilian Cuisine where pasta is served with Tomato Sauce, fried eggplant cubes, grated salty ricotta cheese and fresh basil leaves. The recipe originated in Catania where it is said that a Sicilian playwright was so impressed by the deliciousness of this dish that he compared it to Bellini’s famous opera, Norma. Since then, this iconic dish of Sicilian tradition began to be called “alla Norma” and today it is known worldwide by this name.
As with any traditional recipe, there are various versions and many variations. The one I am sharing today is the authentic Pasta alla Norma recipe from a Sicilian friend of mine. It is a simple preparation that is sure to impress! Just use fresh, high-quality ingredients.
Traditional Pasta Alla Norma Ingredients
- 400 g eggplant (14 oz)
- Salt
- 500 g peeled tomatoes (1 lb 1¾ oz)
- 2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- Fresh basil leaves
- 2 l oil for frying (8-9 cups)
- 400 g short pasta with hole (rigatoni, sedani, penne…) (14 oz)
- 150 g salted ricotta (5¼ oz), shredded (Ricotta Salata substitute: Feta cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese)
Pasta alla Norma Video Recipe
How to make Sicilian Pasta Alla Norma Recipe
Prepare Eggplants
To prepare Pasta alla Norma like a pro, start washing the eggplants, trim them and cut into cubes. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander and place the colander in the sink. Add a pinch of salt and mix them well (1). Cover with a plate and let rest (2), preferably in the sun, for about 1 hour.
Prepare Tomato Sauce
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Place canned tomatoes in a large bowl and puree with an immersion blender to obtain a smooth sauce (3).
In a saucepan, heat a little olive oil and add 1 clove of garlic. Once the garlic begins to sauté, add the tomato puree. Cook for 15 minutes over moderate heat with fresh basil until you have an aromatic sauce (4). Taste, add salt to taste if desired and add more fresh basil leaves if desired. Remove the garlic from the sauce.
Fry Eggplant Cubes
When the sauce is ready, fry the eggplant cubes in a large skillet with abundant boiling oil for about 1–2 minutes (5). Drain on paper towels.
Cook Pasta
Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions and drain 2 minutes before the end of cooking.
Assemble
Toss the pasta with the tomato sauce (6). Add half the fried eggplant (7) and fresh basil. Mix until the pasta is fully cooked.
Serve the pasta alla norma adding, to the plate, grated ricotta salata cheese in threads (8) and the remaining fried eggplant.
Sicilian Eggplant Pasta Recipe Preparation Tips&Tricks
1) Outside of Italy, I think it’s difficult to find salted ricotta. You can find it on Amazon or you can replace it with:
2) When frying the eggplants, pay attention to the oil temperature, which must be around 170° C. For this reason, it would be better to use a cooking thermometer. I suggest this cooking thermometer, which you can find on Amazon. If you don’t have one, check the eggplants constantly, to ensure they don’t burn, and drain them as soon as they are golden brown.
3) If you have to fry a large amount of eggplant for many people, a deep fryer can be very convenient and useful, otherwise for a dose for 4 people the classic frying pan is fine. You will consume less oil!
Pasta alla Norma Storage Instructions
Properly cooked al dente pasta can be stored for later consumption. Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate. When you’re ready to eat it again, add a small amount of oil to a non-stick pan and heat over a medium temperature. Add the refrigerated pasta and stir continuously for a few minutes to warm through and prevent sticking or burning.
Best Pasta alla Norma Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g – 14 oz eggplant
- Salt
- 500 g – 1 lb 1¾ oz peeled tomatoes
- 2 –3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- Fresh basil leaves
- 2 l – 8-9 cups oil for frying
- 400 g – 14 oz short pasta with hole rigatoni, sedani, penne…
- 150 g – 5¼ oz salted ricotta shredded (Ricotta Salata substitute: Feta cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese)
Instructions
- Wash the eggplants, trim them and cut into cubes.
- Place the eggplant cubes in a colander and place the colander in the sink. Add a pinch of salt and mix them well. Cover with a plate and let rest, preferably in the sun, for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Place canned tomatoes in a large bowl and puree with an immersion blender to obtain a smooth sauce.
- In a saucepan, heat a little olive oil and add 1 clove of garlic. Once the garlic begins to sauté, add the tomato puree. Cook for 15 minutes over moderate heat with fresh basil until you have an aromatic sauce. Taste, add salt to taste if desired and add more fresh basil leaves if desired. Remove the garlic from the sauce.
- When the sauce is ready, fry the eggplant cubes in a large skillet with abundant boiling oil for about 1–2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions and drain 2 minutes before the end of cooking.
- Add the pasta to the saucepan with tomato sauce. Add half the fried eggplant and fresh basil. Mix and cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, until the pasta is fully cooked.
- Serve the pasta alla norma adding shredded ricotta salata cheese and the remaining fried eggplant.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
