The Pasta alla Norma is a typical dish of the Sicilian cuisine (more precisely from Catania) featuring fried eggplants, tomato wrapping all the flavors, and salted ricotta adding an extra touch to the entire dish.
Pasta alla Norma is named after the famous opera “Norma” by Vincenzo Bellini, one of the greatest Sicilian composers. Legend says the dish was named as a tribute to the greatness and beauty of Sicilian music and culture, just like Bellini’s opera. Another version tells that the name was given by the famous writer and music critic Nino Martoglio, who exclaimed “This is a real Norma!” referring to the goodness and refinement of the dish, comparing it to the greatness of the opera.
Pasta alla Norma, a cornerstone not only of Sicilian cuisine but of Italy as a whole and known worldwide, has been given a celebratory day every September 23rd.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!
See also
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 11 oz pasta
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion (or garlic)
- peeled tomatoes
- as needed salt
- as needed pepper (ground black)
- A few leaves basil
- 2 eggplants
- as needed peanut oil (for frying)
- as needed salted ricotta
Tools
- 2 Pans
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Frying Sieve
Steps
Preparing Pasta alla Norma is really easy and also relatively quick if you can simultaneously manage the three cooking processes required for this dish, otherwise take your time and proceed as follows.
First, wash, dry, and cut the eggplants into chunks. Then fry them in peanut oil until golden, and then transfer them into a frying sieve to drain the excess oil.
In the meantime, put the salted water on the stove for cooking the pasta and start preparing the sauce.
In a pan, sauté an onion in a base of extra virgin olive oil without burning it.
When the onion is soft, add the peeled tomatoes previously crushed with a fork or by hand.
Salt and pepper the sauce and let it cook for 15-20 minutes until it thickens.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook it al dente, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer it little by little into the pan with the sauce.
Add the eggplants, toss the pasta in the pan with the sauce, and finally add a few fresh basil leaves and a nice sprinkle of grated salted ricotta.
Now just plate your dish and enjoy your Pasta alla Norma 😋
