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Pasta alla Norma 🍆
Pasta alla Norma is Sicily’s love letter to eggplant, and once you’ve had it made right, you understand the fuss. Golden fried eggplant melts into a simple garlicky tomato sauce, tossed with pasta and finished with salty shards of ricotta salata and torn basil. It takes a little care with the eggplant, but the payoff is one of the most satisfying meatless dinners I know.
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Equipment
- Deep Skillet or Frying Pan
- Large Pot
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
For the Eggplant
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 cup avocado oil or any heat-tolerant oil (not olive oil)
- Kosher salt
For the Sauce & Pasta
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves whole
- 10 fresh basil leaves more for garnish
- 2 lb tomatoes cherry, plum or roma, cut in half or quartered
- 1 tsp salt and pepper more to taste
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 1 lb pasta
- Ricotta salata for topping
Instructions
- Prep the eggplant: Wash the eggplant, cut in half lengthwise and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Let sit 30 minutes to remove excess moisture and bitterness. Rinse well under cold water to remove the salt, then pat very dry, gently squeezing out as much water as possible. Cube the eggplants.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, season generously with salt.
- Fry the eggplant: Pour about 1 cup avocado oil into a deep skillet and heat over medium-high until it reaches 340F (or a small piece of eggplant sizzles immediately). Fry the eggplant in batches, without overcrowding, about 8 minutes, until golden brown and tender. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.
- Make the sauce: In a separate large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the whole garlic cloves and fresh basil and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to burst.
- Finish the sauce: Pour in the tomato passata, stir to combine, and simmer over medium-low 5 minutes. Add the fried eggplant and gently stir together.
- Cook the pasta until al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss until well coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Top each bowl with freshly grated ricotta salata and a few extra basil leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
- Mutti Tomato Passata with Basil
- Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- DeLallo Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
- Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
- Fresh Eggplant
Nutrition
Tips for Making This Recipe
Salt the eggplant first. Drawing out moisture with salt for half an hour keeps the eggplant from turning bitter or greasy and helps it fry up golden instead of soggy. Fry until deeply golden. Properly fried eggplant goes silky and sweet, which is the heart of this dish, so don’t pull it too early. Save the ricotta salata for the end. Its salty, crumbly bite is the finishing touch, so grate or shave it over each plate rather than cooking it in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to salt the eggplant before cooking?
Salting draws out excess moisture and bitterness, so the eggplant fries up golden and silky instead of soggy and soaks up less oil. It’s the step that makes or breaks the dish.
What is ricotta salata, and what can I substitute?
It’s a firm, salted, aged ricotta that’s grated or shaved over the top. If you can’t find it, a good aged pecorino or even feta gives you a similar salty finish.
Can I roast the eggplant instead of frying it?
You can. Roasting at high heat with a little oil is lighter, though frying gives that classic silky texture. Either way, get it deeply golden.
Is this dish vegetarian?
Yes, Pasta alla Norma is naturally vegetarian, and it’s hearty enough that nobody misses the meat, thanks to the rich, melting eggplant.
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My 5 Most-Loved Pastas, yours when you join
Such a classic and it’s so delicious!