Pasta alla norma is a classic Sicilian recipe with fried eggplant and tomatoes. It is creamy and savory while also being easy to make and quick to execute on a weeknight!
Want more Italian Classics? Try Carbonara, amatriciana, or Chicken Saltimbocca!
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Classic Italian Dishes
Pasta alla norma is a pasta you will see on almost every menu in Sicily. It is a delightful dish with crisp fried eggplant and spicy marinara sauce, served over pasta. In our case, I used spaghetti, but it can be served over everything from rigatoni to penne. This is a classic Italian recipe that we often see in restaurants, but never remember to make at home.
When we look at certain Italian dishes, they have to stay true to tradition. What I like about cooking eggplant this way is it maintains its shape. For this particular dish, I don't like when eggplants are torn apart and mush. Some simple eggplant dishes are served that way, which can be great for adding a creamy texture but doesn't exactly work in pasta alla norma.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Whole plum tomatoes. Don't substitute crushed tomatoes unless you don't have whole. You want there to be some texture in this dish, and crushed tomatoes are too processed for this.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The eggplant is going to suck up that olive oil. If you don't use high-quality olive oil, you will taste a difference.
Ricotta salata. Typically, ricotta salata is the cheese paired with this dish and it is normally a pretty funky cheese but not so much here in America. I suggest using grana padano or pecorino romano. I use grana padano in these images.
Step-by-Step Directions
This is an easy recipe. Like most Italian recipes, the simple, high-quality ingredients and careful following of the steps make this dish great.
Step 1: Start by slicing the eggplant into ½-inch slices. Lay them out on a flat surface and salt both sides of them. Wait 20 minutes and then pat them dry with a paper towel to remove all water.
Step 2: Add olive oil to a large saucepan and heat to medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the whole slices of eggplant or cut into half moons. I do a combination for a little pageantry of the dish. Fry in batches in order to not overcrowd the pan.
Fry until both sides are golden brown about 3-4 minutes per side. You may need to add extra olive oil because the eggplants tend to suck up a lot of oil.
Pro-Tips
- Eggplants are filled with water. If you skip the salting step, it'll be harder to get the eggplant to come out golden brown when frying it. It will also cause them to steam while cooking them.
- Carefully mix the eggplant with the pasta to not crush it and make it mush
Step 3: Set the eggplant aside. If there is more oil left in the pan we can move on, if not, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Lower the heat, to medium-low. Add garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper and saute for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 4: Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 30 more seconds until the tomato paste is lightly caramelized and then add the peeled tomatoes. Gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add in the basil and salt then bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: In a pot, bring water to a boil, add salt, and then cook the pasta as directed on the bag to al dente. Strain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and combine while hot. You should add about ¼-1/2 cups of starchy pasta water to the sauce to help it combine with the pasta.
Step 5: Then add the eggplant back in and stir together. Serve with your choice of cheese, but traditionally, ricotta salata.
FAQs
Like most pasta, it is better to reheat it in a pan with a little extra olive oil.
A Montepulciano will pair nicely with this pasta dish. With its deep fruit flavor and a hint of herbal notes, this would be a great Italian wine to pair with this Italian classic.
This translates to "a masterpiece" in Italian.
Eggplant is a top vegetable. The only one I place above it is broccoli rabe. There are so many ways to cook with it. Pasta alla norma is one of my favorite types of pasta. If you enjoy this recipe, please leave a rating below!
You can follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice or on Tiktok @alwaysfromscratch. Thank you so much for reading and making our recipe!
More Meatless Pasta
📖 Recipe
Pasta alla Norma
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 4-6 qt pot
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, sliced in ½ inch slices
- 1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for eggplant
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4-5 basil leaves
- ¼ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
- ricotta salata or grana padano for garnish
- 1 lb spaghetti
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into ½-inch slices. Lay them out on a flat surface and salt both sides of them. Wait 20 minutes and then pat them dry with a paper towel to remove all water.
- Add olive oil to a large saucepan and heat to medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the whole slices of eggplant or cut into half moons. Fry until both sides are golden brown about 3-4 minutes per side. You may need to add extra olive oil because the eggplants tend to suck up a lot of oil.
- Set the eggplant aside. If there is more oil left in the pan we can move on, if not, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper and saute for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 30 more seconds and then add the peeled tomatoes. Gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add in the basil and salt then simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a pot, bring water to a boil, add salt, and then cook the pasta as directed on the bag to al dente. Strain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and combine while hot. Then add the eggplant back in and stir together. Serve with ricotta salata.
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