Eggplants are a key ingredient in Sicilian cooking and in Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta) they are the star of the show. Top this simple pasta dish with ricotta salata before serving for the perfect vegetarian pasta dinner!
Pasta alla Norma is the perfect vegetarian pasta dish as well as an excellent choice if you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. With just a few simple ingredients you have a complete dinner ready in about 30 minutes!
This eggplant pasta dish consists of a fragrant tomato sauce with basil combined with eggplant, tossed with pasta and served with plenty of ricotta salata,
Althouth I usually prepare this dish with Italian globe eggplants, I could not resist these beautiful Chinese eggplants at the grocery store!
Furthermore, in order to lighten up this egglant and pasta dish, I opted to oven roast my eggplant instead of frying it. This is definitely not traditional, however I prefer this method which is way less messier than frying. Furthermore, in my opinion, the eggplant cooks much more evenly with this roasting method.
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Origin of Pasta alla Norma:
This eggplant tomato pasta is a classic Sicilian dish. What makes this dish Sicilian and why this name? The name was inspired by a famous opera entitled "La Norma" composed by Vincenzo Bellini who was from Catania (on the eastern coast of Sicily. Supposedly, a local chef created this dish as a tribute to the leading character in Bellini's opera.
Of course, I can't prove the veracity of this story however I can tell you that you will definitely love this dish!
Eggplant Pasta Ingredient List
This recipe consists of very few ingredients, however as in all Italian recipes, it is of upmost importance to get the best quality and freshest ingredients you can find. Here's what you'll need:
- Eggplant: Italian eggplant with a dark purple skin and bulbous shape is typically used. You'll notice I did not remove the skin. In this recipe I used Chinese eggplant.
- Garlic; canned Italian plum tomatoes and red pepper flakes for the sauce.
- Ricotta salata: is basically ricotta which is pressed, salted and aged and therefore has a much tangier, saltier flavor compared to plain fresh ricotta. Pasta alla Norma must absolutely be served with salted ricotta rather than parmigiano cheese, otherwise it just isn't Pasta alla Norma! You can find ricotta salata in most Italian grocery stores.
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil for garnishing.
- As for the pasta, I prefer rigatoni or any other short pasta, such as penne rigate, which tends to adhere to the sauce much better. But of course, it would be just as good even if you prefer spaghetti.
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Pasta alla Norma
Step 1
Prepare the eggplant: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss eggplant cubes with 3 tablespoon of olive oil, salt lightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the eggplants are golden and tender.
Step 2
Prepare the tomato sauce: Begin by lightly sautéing a clove of garlic in olive oil. Add the canned whole plum tomatoes which have been crushed by hand (or a potato masher) to break them down and red pepper flakes. When the eggplant is done, stir it into tomato sauce.
Step 3
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Combine the prepared tomato eggplant with the pasta and stir. Top with freshly chopped basil. Serve with plenty of freshly grated ricotta salata.
Recipe FAQs
The eggplant in this recipe is traditionally fried. However, I decided to lighten up this recipe by oven roasting my eggplant but if you prefer sticking to the traditional method, fry your cubed eggplant in batches in plenty of olive oil until golden and tender. Place on a paper towel covered plate or tray to absorb excess oil before stirring in the sauce.
Use any medium length pasta of your choice such as rigatoni, gemelli, or penne to name a few.
Definitely! Freeze the prepared sauce in an freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how much you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
More Sicilian eggplant recipes!
Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 eggplants approximately 1 ½ lbs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- salt to taste
- red pepper flakes optional
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 796 ml can whole Italian plum tomatoes
- 450 grams rigatoni or pasta of your choice
- handful fresh basil leaves chopped coarsely
- freshly grated ricotta salata for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss eggplant cubes with 3 tablespoon of olive oil, salt lightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the eggplants are golden and tender.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining tbsp. of olive oil and add garlic. Using your fingers (or a potato masher), crush the tomatoes into small pieces, add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Season with salt and red pepper flakes (if using) and lower to a simmer while the eggplant cooks, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and cook pasta until al dente.
- Add the roasted eggplant to the sauce and stir to combine. Simmer on very low heat until the pasta is ready.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the eggplant sauce and stir to combine. Garnish with chopped basil leaves.
- Serve with grated ricotta salata.
Notes
- I decided to lighten up this recipe by oven roasting my eggplant but if you prefer sticking to the traditional method, fry your cubed eggplant in batches in plenty of olive oil until golden and tender. Place on a paper towel covered plate or tray to absorb excess oil before stirring in the sauce.
- Although this recipe is rather quick to prepare, you can speed up the process by roasting your eggplant a day in advance.
- Use any short or medium length pasta of your choice such as rigatoni, gemelli, or penne to name a few.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.
Nadia Fazio
The ultimate Sicilian pasta dish and so easy to make. I highly recommend my no frying method to cook the eggplant, it is just as tasty and easier to make. But whatever you do, don't skip the ricotta salata, it is a must!
Diane
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Years ago I tried pasta ala Norma as a special of the day in a local family owned restaurant and loved it. I've never seen it since I ate it there. I've looked from time to time for a similar recipe and hope that I have found it. I'm making this for dinner tonight. I can't wait for my vegetarian husband to try it.
Nadia
Hello Diane, this is definitely one of my favorite vegetarian pasta dishes. I do hope you and your husband enjoyed it!
GIna
Hi, do you buy the ricotta salata or is it made?
Thank you
mangiabedda@gmail.com
Hi Gina, I buy my ricotta salata at a local Italian grocery store. My mother actually used to make her own and I must try one day!