Original Pasta alla Norma Recipe.
If you come to Sicily and don’t try this dish, what are you doing here???
This recipe has very ancient roots. It seems that the name “Norma” for the recipe was given by Nino Martoglio (1870-1921), the famous playwright from Catania, who exclaimed in front of such a well-seasoned pasta dish: “Chista è ‘na vera Norma!” to indicate its supreme goodness, comparing it to the masterpiece of the great composer Vincenzo Bellini.
But let’s get to the recipe: depending on whether you are in Catania or Messina, you will use salted ricotta or baked ricotta, respectively, both of which should be grated.
As for the pasta shape, originally these were macaroni made with a spindle; nowadays they have been replaced with rigatoni or penne rigate.
The pasta must then be tossed with the sauce, the eggplants and… lots of grated ricotta, and finally scented with abundant basil.
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- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Slow Fire
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Energy 657.19 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 84.09 (g) of which sugars 19.48 (g)
- Proteins 21.85 (g)
- Fat 27.31 (g) of which saturated 6.56 (g)of which unsaturated 13.34 (g)
- Fibers 12.14 (g)
- Sodium 351.86 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 401 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
- 12 oz rigatoni (or handmade macaroni 21 oz)
- 14 oz eggplants (purple)
- 7 oz sheep ricotta (salted or baked for grating)
- to taste salt
- 3 lbs San Marzano tomatoes (or 24 oz of tomato puree)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 oz Tropea red onion
- to taste basil (plenty)
- 10 oz sunflower oil
- 1 oz extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Pan
- Pot
- Colander
- Absorbent paper or dish towels
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Food mill or immersion blender
Storage and Tips
Original Pasta alla Norma Recipe. You can store the sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months
