This is one of the best known and loved dishes of Sicilian cuisine. It includes the typical Mediterranean flavors of aubergine (eggplant), tomato, garlic, basil, and lots of grated Sicilian salted ricotta cheese (Ricotta Salata)
You can watch us prepare this recipe on: Todd & Vittoria’s Sicilian Food Adventures : Pasta alla Norma
** Ricotta Salata is dry, salted ricotta. Pressed and aged 3 or more months. What could you use as a substitution in this recipe if you do not have Ricotta Salata? I’d say a Pecorino Romano or even Parmigiana Reggiano (large grate). I’ve read some use fetta cheese as a substitution, but honestly I would not endorse that. You don’t want melted cheese in Pasta alla Norma, but instead you are looking for that beautiful firm, salty cheese grated on top. In my opinion, using a Greek feta cheese completely changes the flavor and looses the authentic feel of this Sicilian recipe.
It seems this recipe was likely of Neapolitan origin. So you might ask, what makes Pasta alla Norma uniquely Sicilian? Of course, as I’ve already mentioned, the rich flavor of Sicilian Ricotta Salata & the lightly crisped fried eggplant slices are added on top as you plate the pasta. The Neapolitan method for pasta with eggplant (pasta alla melanzane) uses Mozzarella cheese and the eggplant is typically diced or large julienne (like a French Fry) and the fried eggplant is the foundation of the tomato sauce.
Why is it called “Pasta alla Norma”? The name of this humble pasta recipe comes the 1830’s opera “La Norma” by author Vinceno Bellini, a famous composer from Catania, Sicily. If you have the chance to visit Catania you must walk through Villa Bellini, which is a large beautiful garden park dedicated to Vincenzo Bellini. This city park has shaded paths, benches, fountains and flowerbeds. A unique feature is near the main west-facing entrance. Each day the garden on the incline is replanted to spell out the day/month/year.
So, here is the way we like to prepare pasta alla Norma in our kitchen:
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) short dried pasta (800g/26 oz fresh pasta)
- 1 kg (2 lb) Tomatoes, peeled & diced (you could substitute canned diced tomatoes, aprox. 800g/28oz)
- 500 g (1 lb) Eggplant
- A bunch of fresh Basil
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced or crushed
- 100 g Ricotta salata
- Olive oil
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt & pepper
Preparation
- Slice the eggplant .5cm (1/4”). Salt and set aside in colander to drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- In skillet, add some olive oil and garlic. Cook until garlic begins to brown, then add the tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat abut 20 minutes.
- Remove sauce from the heat. Add handful of chopped or torn basil leaves. Set aside.
- Rinse salt from the eggplant. Pat dry.
- Add frying oil to pan, over medium-high heat, cook the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown. (Turning to cook both sides evenly). Drain on paper towel.
- Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain.
- In pot or large bowl, coat the pasta with the tomato sauce.
- Serve the pasta topped with fried eggplant. (You can cut the slices into quarters before serving) and freshly grated ricotta salata cheese. Add more fresh torn basil as desired.
Pairs well with Nero d’Avola wine. We love Gambino’s Duvenera 🍷
You can watch us prepare this recipe on: Todd & Vittoria’s Sicilian Food Adventures : Pasta alla Norma
Have you prepared this recipe? Please leave a reply below to let us know what you think…