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Delicious Pasta alla Norma

Featured in Dinner Solutions You'll Love.

Cut and salt eggplant, drain it, then fry until crisp. Whip up a basil-garlic tomato sauce, mix in half the eggplant. Boil pasta, toss it all together with the sauce and eggplant pieces, and sprinkle with ricotta salata.
Hannah Author
Updated on Sat, 08 Mar 2025 16:04:25 GMT
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This classic Pasta alla Norma recipe comes straight from the heart of Sicily. The combination of perfectly fried eggplant and rich tomato sauce creates an incredibly satisfying pasta dish that has become a treasured favorite in my kitchen. The tender, golden eggplant pieces melt into a velvety sauce that clings beautifully to the pasta.

The true magic of this dish lies in the careful preparation of each component. When made properly, the eggplant transforms from a humble vegetable into something extraordinarily luxurious. The sauce develops remarkable depth while remaining distinctly light and fresh.

Essential Ingredients

  • Small Italian eggplants: Their tender flesh and minimal seeds make them ideal for this dish
  • San Marzano tomatoes: These sweet, low-acid tomatoes create the perfect sauce base
  • Premium olive oil: Essential for achieving that silky eggplant texture
  • Ricotta salata: The traditional finishing cheese that adds perfect saltiness
  • Fresh basil leaves: Provides the signature aroma and flavor
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Technique Tips

Eggplant preparation:
Salt the eggplant for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture and any bitterness
Proper frying method:
Fry eggplant in small batches to ensure each piece gets perfectly golden
Layered sauce building:
Cook some eggplant pieces into the sauce while keeping others whole for texture
Perfect pasta timing:
Slightly undercook the pasta so it can finish in the sauce
Pasta water technique:
Save the starchy cooking water to help create the ideal sauce consistency
Final presentation:
Reserve the best eggplant pieces for garnishing each serving

The key to perfecting this dish lies in respecting traditional techniques while adapting them for the home kitchen. The careful balance of ingredients, proper eggplant preparation, and methodical sauce building creates a dish that honors its Sicilian roots.

Serving Suggestions

Present the pasta in pre-warmed bowls to maintain temperature. Accompany with a simple green salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette. For a complete Italian meal, start with bruschetta and conclude with a light dessert like panna cotta.

Recipe Variations

Consider adding chili flakes for gentle heat, incorporating crumbled Italian sausage for heartiness, or finishing with a spoonful of fresh ricotta for extra richness. Each variation maintains the dish's integrity while offering a different experience.

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This Pasta alla Norma represents the essence of Sicilian cooking - transforming simple ingredients into an extraordinary meal. The dish balances rustic charm with refined technique, creating a pasta that's both comforting and sophisticated.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ What’s the point of salting the eggplant?
Salting helps get rid of extra water and bitterness, making the eggplant fry up crispier and absorb less oil.
→ What’s ricotta salata? Can I try something else?
Ricotta salata is a dried, salted cheese made from ricotta. If you can’t find it, pecorino romano or crumbled feta would work, but the taste will change a bit.
→ Can I switch out the pasta type?
Definitely! While short types like rigatoni, penne, or casarecce work great for catching the sauce, feel free to use what you’ve got.
→ Can I use less oil when cooking this?
Sure, you can bake the eggplant instead. Toss it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 25-30 minutes until crisp.
→ Can I prepare some of this ahead of time?
Yes, the sauce and eggplant can be made and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Just cook your pasta fresh and gently reheat the sauce when ready to serve.

Eggplant Tomato Pasta

A beloved Sicilian dish made with tender, golden eggplant and a creamy tomato-basil sauce, finished off with tangy grated ricotta salata.

Prep Time
25 Minutes
Cook Time
35 Minutes
Total Time
60 Minutes

Category: Main Dishes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: Italian

Yield: 4 Servings

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

→ For the Pasta

01 12 oz (340g) of short pasta, like casarecce if you have it
02 23 oz (660g) of Italian eggplants (around 2 medium-sized ones)
03 30 oz (850g) of canned tomatoes, peeled
04 2 big garlic cloves
05 A handful of fresh basil leaves
06 1/3 cup of top-quality extra-virgin olive oil
07 Some salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
08 1/3 cup of grated ricotta salata cheese

Instructions

Step 01

Chop the eggplant into little cubes that are easy to eat. If you’d like, you can also cut a few thin slices for decoration. Toss the cubes in a colander, sprinkle plenty of salt, and let it sit over a plate for about 15–20 minutes so the eggplant sweats. Pat them dry with paper towels after that to get rid of the liquid and extra salt.

Step 02

While waiting on the eggplant, warm up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan or pot. Toss in the garlic and cook it until it gets golden but not dark. Add the canned tomatoes (crush them with a wooden spoon) and scatter some basil leaves in there. Sprinkle some salt, cover the pot, and let it cook gently for 20 minutes.

Step 03

Heat up a pan and pour in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the eggplant cubes in small amounts at a time, cooking each batch for a few minutes on both sides until they're a nice golden brown. Scoop them out and put them on a plate covered with paper towels to soak up any leftover oil. Repeat until all the cubes are fried.

Step 04

Take the tomato sauce off the heat and purée it until smooth using an immersion blender or a regular one.

Step 05

Stir half of the fried eggplant into the blended tomato sauce. Keep cooking it over low to medium heat with the lid on for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mix.

Step 06

At the same time, bring a big pot of water to a boil, add a lot of salt, and cook the pasta till it’s about 80% done (a couple of minutes shy of the time suggested on the box). Make sure to save some of the pasta water before draining it.

Step 07

Throw the semi-cooked pasta into the pan with the tomato sauce. Add some reserved pasta water and the remaining eggplant cubes (keep a few aside for toppings). Cook everything together for 2 minutes, stirring, so the pasta gets coated in sauce and finishes cooking perfectly.

Step 08

Spoon the Pasta alla Norma into dishes, top with the leftover fried eggplant cubes, and sprinkle with plenty of grated ricotta salata.

Notes

  1. Salting the eggplant helps get rid of extra liquid and any bitterness.
  2. Ricotta salata is aged and salted ricotta cheese. If you can’t find it, pecorino romano cheese works great too.

Tools You'll Need

  • A colander
  • Big pot for boiling pasta
  • Pot or saucepan for the sauce
  • Wide pan for frying eggplant
  • Blender or an immersion blender

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Includes dairy (ricotta salata)
  • Includes gluten (pasta)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 590
  • Total Fat: 23 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 83 g
  • Protein: 17 g