Pasta Norma
By Natoora
Published on 25 April 2022
Pasta alla Norma is a classic Sicilian dish, owing its name to the famous Bellini opera. It is prepared particularly in the summer months, when aubergines abound and are at their peak.Time and servings
1 hr 5 minsTotal time
3Servings
15 minsPrep time
50 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 1 tsp of fine grain sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 fresh basil bunch
- 250 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 aubergine, a round one, if possible
- 600 g of tomatoes, ideally San Marzano, for the sauce
- 250 g of penne, fresh
- 60 g of ricotta, grated
Method
Step 1
Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Meanwhile slice the aubergine about 1 cm thick.Step 2
Fry the aubergine slices in the hot oil in batches, until nicely browned and soft. Add more oil as needed and wait until it gets back to temperature.Step 3
Remove the fried aubergine with a slotted spoon, draining the excess oil. Ease onto a plate covered with some paper towels.Step 4
Meanwhile, put a large pot of water to boil and salt it. In the same frying pan used for the aubergines, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic cloves. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan with the garlic.Step 5
Lower the heat and cover. Cook until you get a dense sauce - this should take around 20 minutes.Step 6
Cut the aubergines in chunks and add them to the sauce. Stir to combine. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente (around 3 minutes).Step 7
Add some spoonfuls of cooking water to the sauce before draining the pasta. Transfer the drained pasta to the saucepan and sprinkle with roughly chopped basil. Toss to coat.Step 8
Serve immediately, topped with grated ricotta salata and freshly ground black pepper.