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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

    Pasta Alla Norma

    Published: Feb 5, 2015 · Updated: Jul 22, 2020 by Peter G · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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    Pasta alla Norma is one dish I always ate on my travels in Sicily. Here I've tried to recreate it as best as I can.

    twirling pasta on a fork

    As soon as I finished making my melitzanoslata recipe, I quickly went to work on using up the remainder of my overabundant eggplant supply.

     So I made pasta alla Norma. 

    eggplants and tomatoes being cut on a chopping board

    A Sicilian classic

    If you thought my previous creation was simple, then this is even simpler. It can be on the table in approximately thirty minutes!

    If you're not familiar with this dish, then let me do a little explaining.

    It's a pasta dish that uses eggplants, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. A fair bit of olive oil as a matter of fact! 

    A dish native to Sicily,  it's said to be named after Bellini's opera Norma. I ate it everywhere on my recent trip to Sicily.

    Eating it numerous times - not once did it disappoint!

    It was like perfection on steroids! 

    The presentation might have differed a little, but the core ingredients were always present.

    pasta alla norma pasta dish made with eggplants and tomatoes
    eggplants and tomatoes

    Making Pasta Alla Norma at home

    For my version of pasta alla Norma, I used spaghetti. That's what I had hiding in my pantry. 

    I chose to chop up the eggplants in even-sized chunks. You could also slice them into rounds and use them that way. I also made use of fresh tomatoes which are just at their peak now.

    If you have canned tomatoes, it's not an issue. Go with those. And please don't be afraid of the olive oil. The eggplants will act as a sponge absorbing that olive oil as you fry them.  A little more for the sauce is mandatory.

    Finally, if you can get hold of ricotta salata use that to garnish your pasta alla norma. It's a pressed, salted and dried form of ricotta cheese. It's the traditional cheese used for this Sicilian classic.

    Cheers!

    pasta all norma made with eggplants and tomatoes served on a plate
    pasta with eggplants and tomatoes served on a plate

    Pasta Alla Norma

    Author: Peter G
    Pasta all Norma is Sicily's staple pasta dish of eggplants and tomatoes topped with ricotta salata.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hr
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 2 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 eggplants, chopped into even chunks
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • ½ cup olive oil, (to fry the eggplant)
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    • 400 g tomatoes, freshly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon basil, freshly chopped
    • ¼ cup ricotta cheese, (ricotta salata is preferred )
    • 250 g pasta, cooked spaghetti or penne
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Sprinkle the salt over the eggplant, place in a colander over a sink or bowl. Leave for approx. 1 hour. Drain the excess liquid, rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Set aside.
    • Heat ½ cup olive oil over medium heat. Fry the eggplant in batches until browned. Drain on paper towels.
    • Add ¼ cup olive oil to the same pan. Add the garlic and allow to fry a little. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Allow the tomato mixture to cook for 10-15 mins ensuring to stir continuously.
    • Finally add the cooked eggplant to the tomatoes, stir and cook for a further 2 mins.
    • Toss the pasta through the eggplant mixture. Garnish with basil and top with grated ricotta salata cheese.

    Notes

    If you can't find ricotta salata use grated Pecorino Romano cheese instead.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1393 kcal | Carbohydrates: 131 g | Protein: 26 g | Fat: 88 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g

    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

    © Souvlaki For the Soul

    Made this recipe?Let me know how you went and tag @souvlakiman on Instagram!

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Mike

      February 06, 2015 at 12:09 am

      An excellent dish. Easy, tasty and healthy at the same time plus cheap to make. A winner.

      Reply
    2. Angela Roberts

      February 06, 2015 at 10:36 am

      Your food is so damn sexy.

      Reply
      • Peter G

        February 06, 2015 at 11:07 am

        Thanks Angela!

        Reply
    3. Sara (Belly Rumbles)

      February 12, 2015 at 12:33 am

      Olive oil loving at it's best.

      Reply
    4. AmandaChewTown

      February 17, 2015 at 1:23 pm

      Eggplant pasta is a favourite of mine. Its a great vegetarian dish as it makes the pasta to flavoursome.

      Reply
    5. Catherine Neary

      August 14, 2015 at 12:34 am

      love eggplant ty for sharing so yummy

      Reply
    6. Lori dyer

      June 29, 2022 at 12:29 am

      Love this pasta recipe, nothing like eggplant to elevate pasta! Headed from Wa state to NY, shopping at Grand Central Station Market for this recipe to make for my sister.

      Reply
    7. Lori

      July 02, 2022 at 5:02 am

      5 stars
      I love this recipe and it’s so easy to change up. Making for my sisters birthday dinner, so I put whipped ricotta with lemon herb in the bottom of my pasta bowls I’ll pasta on it, Fried the eggplant in a mix of olive oil and pancetta drippings. I make it for the recipe but flew to New York and wandered into a wonderful little shop this afternoon that had the most amazing pancetta, so I had to! Serving with fresh made sourdough, and warmed olives in garlic and dill.

      Reply

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    Peter Georgakopoulos owner of Souvlaki For The Soul

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