Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is the classic Italian eggplant pasta dish. Salting the eggplant ahead of time will draw out the moisture and bitterness. Be sure to rinse off the salt and pat dry before frying.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword eggplant, pasta alla norma

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 379kcal

Author Angela Allison

Equipment

large skillet or dutch oven

Ingredients

2 eggplant (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ cup olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend (or dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound rigatoni
½ cup basil, torn or chopped
ricotta salata for serving (parmesan, pecorino romano, or whole milk ricotta can be substituted)

Instructions

Wash and trim the eggplants. You can peel them if you prefer, but it's not necessary. Cut the eggplants into ½-inch cubes. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and let them sit for about 30 minutes. (This helps remove excess moisture and bitterness.) Afterward, rinse with cool water and pat them dry with paper towels.
Heat a large skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add in ¼ cup of olive oil and add in eggplant cubes. Fry the eggplant until golden in color; about 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the pan with a spoon and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the remaining ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat.Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), and sauté for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the canned crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and season with salt and black pepper. Simmer the tomato sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the flavors meld.
Add the fried eggplant cubes to the tomato sauce and let them simmer together for a few more minutes to combine the flavors. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain.
Toss the cooked pasta with the eggplant and tomato sauce mixture.Stir in torn or chopped fresh basil leaves.
Divide the Pasta alla Norma among plates or bowls.Finish by grating the ricotta salata cheese over each serving. If you can't find ricotta salata, whole milk ricotta cheese, pecorino romano or parmesan cheese works well as a substitute.

Notes

You can remove the skin from the eggplant or leave it on depending on preferences.
It is necessary to salt the eggplant ahead of time to remove the excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplant. Be sure you rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat it very dry before frying in the oil.
To speed up cooking time, you could fry the eggplant separately while you make the red sauce.
Pasta alla Norma is traditionally served with ricotta salata, but you could top with parmesan cheese, pecorino romano, or whole milk ricotta cheese.

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