Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla norma is a classic Sicilian recipe with fried eggplant and tomatoes. Pasta alla norma is filling, delicious, and perfect for family dinners!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 405kcal
Cost: $10
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
- ½ 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. Slice them into quarters or halves.
- Add 1/.4 cup of olive oil to a large saucepan and heat to medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry until both sides are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. You may need to add extra olive oil for each batch because the eggplants tend to suck up a lot of oil.
- Set the eggplant aside. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and lower the heat to medium low. 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 along with ¼ cup of starchy pasta water, and combine while hot. Then add the eggplant back in and stir together. Serve with ricotta salata.
Notes
- Frying the Eggplant: This will feel like it's taking longer than it should. Be patient and shake the pan occasionally. Moving the eggplant around can help them fry evenly.
- 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
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg