Despite the simplicity of the dish, “Pasta alla Norma” is one of the most popular dishes in Sicily, possibly thanks to its rich flavour and its extreme simplicity in its creation. The secret is in having some very mature tomatoes, at their highest point of sweetness and some perfectly golden fried aubergine. According to what we know today, this is a recipe originally from the city of Catania and it seems that the Sicilian playwright Nino Martoglio gave the name to the recipe, comparing the goodness of this recipe to the beauty of the homonymous opera by Bellini!
Pasta alla norma
Course: PastaDifficulty: Easy4
servings2
hours10
minutesIngredients
Eggplants 1
Pasta 400gr
Salted Ricotta 100gr
Garlic
Olive Oil
Basil
Salt and Pepper
Ripe tomatoes 1.5 kg
Directions
- Rinse the eggplant, cut it into dabs and let it rest with salt for about an hour. Then fry it in a pan with hot oil!
- Put the tomatoes in boiling water for about 10 minutes, then peel them, remove the seeds and chop them roughly!
- Roll the garlic in a pan with few drops of olive oil and add the previously chopped tomatoes, basil leaves, a pinch of salt and pepper!
- Cook over a low heat and stir until the sauce looks thick.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water (don’t forget to put some salt!). Pasta need to be “Al dente” (we would like to recommend bucatini!), and when ready then pour it into the pan with the sauce.
- Stir and add the eggplants, a few basil leaves and chopped salty ricotta! Pasta alla Norma is now ready to go!
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