Sicilian pasta alla Norma is a superbly easy 20-minute eggplant pasta dish that options crispy eggplant, wealthy tomato sauce and salty ricotta cheese.
Pasta alla norma is a vegetarian pasta recipe that includes completely cooked al dente pasta in a easy Italian tomato sauce, topped with crispy eggplant and shavings of scrumptious ricotta salata (salted ricotta cheese).
I grew up in Sicily, and pasta alla norma is certainly one of our most conventional recipes.
I am significantly keen on this easy pasta dish, because it jogs my memory of all Sundays spent along with my nonna and the remainder of my Sicilian household.
In truth, I really like this dish a lot it is even within the cowl of my first cookbook “20-Minute Italian”!
The great thing about this dish is that it requires just a few easy cheap components, it is a tremendous straightforward and satisfying vegetarian pasta dish.
Plus, it is prepared very quickly and excellent for busy weekdays or to please a big and hungry crowd.
Soar to:
What’s Sicilian pasta alla Norma?
Pasta alla Norma is an straightforward pasta dish that includes fried eggplant and pomodoro sauce and it is sometimes topped with salty ricotta cheese known as ricotta salata.
Norma pasta was born in Catania, Sicily, and it quickly turned a standard dish throughout Italy. However why was this pasta was named “alla norma”?
Based on legend, in some unspecified time in the future, somebody who fell in love with the goodness of the dish, had exclaimed: “Chista è ‘na vera Norma!”, which might translate to “It is a actual Norma!” (supposed as an actual masterpiece).
The reference is to the “Norma”, the well-known work of the composer Vincenzo Bellini.
Mainly, this pasta was SO good, that it deserved to be named after the well-known opera by the Sicilian compositor.
Pasta alla Norma components
This scrumptious vegetarian Italian pasta recipe comes collectively in simply 20 minutes and all you want is simply 7 easy components:
- Pasta: I like to make use of penne, rigatoni or spaghetti, however bucatini, mafaldine or different shorter pasta would work nicely.
- Tomatoes: use contemporary or canned tomato to organize a easy Italian conventional tomato sauce.
- Eggplant: use agency eggplants, be at liberty to peel them fully or not.
- Additional-virgin olive oil: attempt to use the highest quality olive oil you possibly can, it is going to improve the general taste of the dish.
- Basil: contemporary basil leaves will add an exquisite fragrant be aware to the dish.
- Ricotta salata: aged salty ricotta is among the stars of this pasta recipe, nonetheless, you possibly can substitute it with Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.
Ricotta salata is a typical Sicilian cheese, and it’s barely completely different contemporary ricotta.
It follows the identical steps however is normally constructed from sheep’s milk whey, then it’s salted and aged for a number of months.
Outdoors of Sicily it’s normally obtainable in most Italian delis or on-line outlets.
After I’m in Sicily, I at all times use Italian eggplant, which has darkish pores and skin, pearl form, and a candy and meaty flavour.
Nevertheless, many different varieties (equivalent to white, graffiti or globe eggplant) will work simply as nicely.
Here is a useful aubergine information that will help you choose the correct one.
Eggplant pasta prepared in 20 minutes
That is a type of straightforward Italian recipes which are at all times a crowd-pleaser and do not require a lot effort.
This straightforward eggplant pasta recipe is prepared in 4 easy steps and 20 minutes of your time:
Scroll down till the tip of the submit for the total printable recipe.
STEP 1. Put together the eggplant. Minimize it into small cubes, then stir-fry till crispy and golden brown.
STEP 2. Put together a easy tomato sauce with contemporary or canned tomatoes, a garlic clove and a few basil leaves.
STEP 1. Add the pasta to a pot with calmly salted boiling water. Cook dinner the pasta al dente.
STEP 1. Add the pasta into the pan with the tomato sauce, combine within the fried eggplant, prime with ricotta cheese, and serve.
In fact you may make eggplant pasta with roasted eggplant.
Place cubed eggplant in a bowl and season nicely with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
Prepare the cubes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 360F/180C till golden and cooked by, about 20 minutes.
Extra Italian pasta recipes to attempt
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Recipe
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Sicilian pasta alla Norma is a superbly easy 20-minute eggplant pasta dish that options crispy eggplant, wealthy tomato sauce and salty ricotta cheese.
Serving: 4
Energy: 572kcal
Substances
- 1 giant eggplant
- 255 ml extra-virgin olive oil, approx 1 cup + 1 tablespoon
- 1 garlic clove
- 5 complete canned plum tomatoes
- 120 ml water or the juice of the canned tomatoes, approx ½ cup
- 4 basil leaves
- a pinch of brown sugar or a bay leaf
- Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 350 g pasta, penne, spaghetti, rigatoni, and so forth
- 3 tablespoon ricotta salata cheese, grated
Directions
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Carry a big pot of water to a boil.
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Finely dice the eggplant, and pat the cubes dry with paper towels.
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Warmth 1 cup (240 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil in a big pan over medium warmth. Fold within the eggplant in a single layer and fry it till it’s crispy and golden on either side, about 4 minutes.
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Take away the eggplant with a slotted spoon and prepare the cubes in a single layer on a dish lined with paper towels. Dab the slices with a paper towel to soak up the surplus oil.
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Slice the tomatoes into half and take away their seeds. Warmth a big pan with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the garlic over medium warmth. Fold within the tomatoes and stir-fry them for five minutes. Stir in ½ cup of heat water , 2 basil leaves and a pinch of sugar (or bay leaf), cowl with a lid and prepare dinner for 10-Quarter-hour. Discard the garlic (and bay leaf if utilizing) and season the sauce with sea salt and black pepper to style.
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Evenly salt the boiling water, fold within the pasta and prepare dinner till al dente, in accordance with package deal instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it into the pan with the tomato sauce, adopted by the fried eggplant cubes and the remaining basil leaves.
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Stir all of the components collectively, sprinkle the ricotta salata all around the pasta and serve.
Notes
Let it relaxation for 20-Half-hour. This course of will make them sweat off their water (and a little bit of their bitterness) in order that you do not find yourself soggy when baked or fried.
Diet
Energy: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 18g | Fats: 16g | Saturated Fats: 3g | Ldl cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 1435mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 6mg
The knowledge proven is an estimate supplied by an internet diet calculator. It shouldn’t be thought-about an alternative choice to an expert nutritionist’s recommendation.
