Pasta alla
Norma
Sicilian pasta with eggplant & ricotta salata
Fried eggplant joins tomato sauce and basil on pasta, with grated ricotta salata adding a salty finish to this Sicilian primo.
Tomato, eggplant & ricotta salataSoft eggplant,
a salty cheese finish.
Pasta alla Norma brings together fried eggplant, tomato, basil and ricotta salata. The eggplant has a soft center and browned edges; the sauce coats the pasta without hiding those pieces. Ricotta salata is a firm salted cheese for grating, quite different from the fresh ricotta sold in tubs.
The dish is strongly associated with Catania in Sicily. Pasta shapes vary, but short tubes catch the tomato and cheese particularly well. In this home version the eggplant is fried separately, then folded in near the end so it keeps its shape.
Explore by food: Pasta · Vegetables & cheese
Let’s make pasta alla norma.
Fry the eggplant separately and add it to a simple tomato sauce.
Four first-course portions.
The tomato sauce simmers during eggplant frying. Twenty minutes of shared cooking time is deducted from the combined 65-minute cooking allowance; heat the pasta water during frying.
What you’ll need
- 320 grigatoni
- 600 geggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 600 gtomato passata
- 2garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 tbspolive oil, for the sauce
- 400 mlolive or neutral oil, for shallow-frying
- 80 gricotta salata, grated
- 12basil leaves
- 3 lwater, for cooking pasta
- 2 tspfine salt, divided
A firm feta can give a salty finish if ricotta salata is unavailable, but it is a substitution and changes the flavor. Frying time depends on pan size.
How to make it
- 01
Simmer the sauce
Warm 2 tbsp olive oil with garlic in a saucepan for 1 minute. Add passata, ¼ tsp salt and half the basil. Simmer gently for 25 minutes until lightly thickened. Remove the garlic.
- 02
Fry the eggplant
While the sauce simmers, pat eggplant dry. Heat frying oil in a deep skillet to 175°C/350°F. Fry in three batches for 5–7 minutes each, turning, until golden and soft inside. Drain on paper towels and season with another ¼ tsp salt. Heat the pasta water during frying.
- 03
Cook the pasta
Bring water to a boil with the remaining salt. Cook rigatoni until al dente using packet timing. Reserve 200 ml cooking water, then drain.
- 04
Bring it together
Toss pasta with tomato sauce, loosening with a little reserved water if needed. Fold in most of the eggplant and divide among plates. Finish with the remaining eggplant, grated ricotta salata and remaining basil.
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