Description
Sicilian kitchens come alive with pasta alla norma, a sublime celebration of eggplant’s rich flavors dancing through perfectly cooked pasta. Robust tomato sauce and golden-crisp eggplant create a Mediterranean masterpiece that transports you straight to Sicily’s sun-drenched landscapes.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 23 oz (660g) Italian eggplants
- 2 large garlic cloves
- Handful of fresh basil leaves
Tomato and Pasta Base:
- 30 oz (850g) canned peeled tomatoes
- 12 oz (340g) short pasta (casarecce recommended)
Seasonings and Finishing:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1/3 cup ricotta salata cheese, grated
Instructions
- Prepare eggplant by cutting into uniform cubes. Salt thoroughly in a colander for 15-20 minutes to draw out moisture. Drain and pat completely dry with paper towels to ensure crisp frying.
- Create tomato sauce by heating olive oil and sautéing garlic until fragrant. Pour in canned tomatoes, crushing them with a wooden spoon. Add torn basil leaves and simmer at low heat for 20 minutes, developing rich flavor.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry eggplant cubes in batches until golden brown and crispy, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Puree sauce using an immersion blender until smooth and velvety, creating a uniform consistency.
- Incorporate half of the fried eggplant into the sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to meld together.
- Cook pasta in heavily salted water until slightly undercooked, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Preserve some pasta water before draining.
- Combine partially cooked pasta with sauce, adding reserved pasta water. Toss remaining eggplant pieces into the mixture. Cook for 2 minutes to complete pasta and integrate flavors.
- Plate the pasta, garnishing with reserved eggplant pieces and a generous sprinkle of ricotta salata cheese for a classic Sicilian presentation.
Notes
- Salt the eggplant to draw out moisture and reduce bitterness, ensuring a crispy texture when frying.
- Fry eggplant in batches to maintain high oil temperature and achieve golden-brown, crispy exterior without soaking up excess oil.
- Blend sauce for a smooth, silky consistency that coats pasta evenly and creates a rich, uniform flavor profile.
- Use reserved pasta water to help sauce adhere to pasta and create a glossy, perfectly seasoned final dish that melds all ingredients together.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 10mg