With a husband born in Sicily, this dish could not be missing. Pasta alla Norma is a dish I prepare in the summer, even though it is not very light, but on my table, it is a single course. Perfectly ripe tomatoes give us a delicious sauce, the aroma of basil, eggplants, and salted ricotta give this recipe a wonderful taste. If you love eggplants, here is a Collection of eggplant recipes
Recipe from 06/05/2017 updated
Other recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Frying, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 561.23 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 76.12 (g) of which sugars 12.89 (g)
- Proteins 16.82 (g)
- Fat 24.40 (g) of which saturated 3.32 (g)of which unsaturated 8.94 (g)
- Fibers 7.77 (g)
- Sodium 591.51 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 364 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 5.5 oz rigatoni (or other types like sedani, calamarata, or penne)
- 1 eggplant
- 1 Tropea red onion
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 oz salted ricotta (grated)
- 1 clove garlic
- 21 oz Pachino tomatoes (ripe)
- 1.3 cup peanut oil
- 2 tsp coarse salt (to remove the vegetation water)
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Cutting Board
- Colander
- Frying Pan
- Pot
- Grater
Steps
Start by preparing the sauce. Toss the washed tomatoes in boiling water and blanch them for a few minutes. As soon as the skin breaks, drain them, let them cool slightly, and remove it. Chop the onion and garlic and sauté them with the extra virgin olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and let it cook over low heat for about 20 minutes until it seems thick. If you don’t like tomato pieces, once cooked, pass the sauce through a food mill.
Cut the eggplants into slices less than 1/4 inch thick. Place them in a colander, sprinkling each slice with coarse salt. Place a weight on top of the colander so that the pressed eggplants lose their vegetation water; after 30 minutes, they will be ready. Rinse and pat dry the slices with paper towels. Pour the peanut oil into a pan, and once it reaches temperature, gently place the eggplants. Fry on both sides and let them dry on paper towels. Do not add salt.
Now everything is ready. Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Cut the fried eggplants into small and large pieces and add them to the sauce, which we have kept warm. Wash and dry the basil leaves. Grate the salted ricotta using a grater that forms sticks. Crumble the basil with your hands and add it to the sauce.
Drain the pasta you have chosen (rigatoni, calamarata, or penne rigate), pour it into the sauce, and mix it with the dressing. Add the ricotta and a few more basil leaves. Serve on plates and… lucky those who eat it!
