Pasta alla Norma is a pasta recipe that takes you straight to Sicily, a sunny and enchanting island at the base of the Italian boot. Alongside the famous cannoli, this healthy pasta recipe is one of the most beloved symbols of Sicilian cuisine. Made with fresh tomatoes, plenty of fried eggplant pieces, fragrant basil leaves, and grated salted ricotta cheese, Pasta alla Norma brings all the flavors and aromas of the Mediterranean together in one dish. It’s a true triumph of rich and authentic taste, perfect for anyone looking for a flavorful and wholesome pasta recipe.
Norma meaning
A famous Sicilian playwright is believed to have shouted out: “Chista è na vera Norma,” or “This is a true Norma” during a dinner at a friend’s house where the playwright first tasted a dish of pasta with tomato sauce, salted ricotta cheese, fried eggplant, and basil. He was so impressed by the taste that he clearly compared it to Bellini’s operatic masterpiece, La Norma, composed in 1831. So this is the secret to the name of this Sicilian recipe.
pick the best ingredients
- Tomato: choose sweet tomato sauce or very ripe tomatoes.
- Salted ricotta cheese: it should be salted and from sheep’s milk, if possible, and should be firm but not aged. How is it served? Just toss the tomato sauce, the fried eggplant pieces the grated salted ricotta, and garnish it with fresh basil leaves. Or just put pasta and tomato sauce on individual dishes and top them with pieces of eggplant and grated cheese. Everyone at the table can then toss their own pasta.
- Eggplant: Pasta alla Norma calls for fresh unblemished eggplant, so if you were in Italy, you would buy the purplish-black variety from Acireale, called Turca (or Turkish) or the Sita variety that are purple and slightly oval.
- Basil: if you grow it, freshly picked basil will give your Pasta alla Norma a superb taste. Otherwise, you can buy it fresh at the supermarket.
pick your pasta brand
Dry pasta is an essential ingredient for countless Italian recipes and beyond. But how do you choose the right one? One key factor to consider is the cooking time: high-quality pasta typically requires at least 10 minutes of cooking. For this reason, it’s best to avoid pasta with a cooking time of less than 10 minutes, as it often doesn’t deliver the same texture or quality. Among the most trusted and popular brands are Barilla and De Cecco. Both offer high-quality pasta that is delicious, affordable, and perfect for creating flavorful, well-prepared dishes. For the Pasta alla Norma recipe, we recommend using rigatoni. This type of pasta is fantastic and perfectly suited for creating a delicious and creamy Pasta alla Norma dish.
Fried or Baked Eggplant?
In the traditional version of Pasta alla Norma, eggplant is always fried. The classic preparation involves slicing the eggplant, sprinkling it with coarse salt to remove excess moisture, and frying it in plenty of olive oil. This method is undoubtedly the original and gives the dish its rich, authentic flavor.
However, frying the eggplant can make the recipe a bit heavy and higher in calories. For those who prefer a lighter option, baking the eggplant is an excellent alternative. This method keeps the eggplant flavorful and tender but with a less greasy and more delicate touch—perfect for anyone looking for a delicious yet lighter dish.
Ricotta salata or Ricotta cheese
Ricotta and ricotta salata are two cheeses made from milk, but they differ significantly in texture, flavor, and use. Fresh ricotta is soft, creamy, and mild in taste, often used in desserts, creamy sauces, and for filling pasta. It’s perfect for sweet or savory recipes that require a light, fresh consistency. On the other hand, ricotta salata is a pressed, aged version of ricotta that is salted and left to dry, taking on a firmer, denser texture.
In the Pasta alla Norma recipe, ricotta salata is used, generously grated to finish off the dish and add a rich, savory touch.
tips and tricks
- Buy fresh eggplant and don’t peel them; just dice them. If they are ripe, they might not need salting. They may be fried in plenty of extra virgin olive oil, or you can grill them for a lighter version. If grilling, do it in slices and then cut them into pieces after. They must be drained on a paper towel, salted, and kept warm;
- Only use extra virgin olive oil which doesn’t only enhance the taste of the dish but also makes it healthier and easier to digest;
- Don’t wash the pan after frying the eggplant; it will season the tomato sauce;
- If you use fresh tomatoes, drop them into boiling water for a couple of minutes so that you can peel them more easily; the skins should just slide off. Remove the seeds and sauté the tomatoes with a little olive oil and a clove of garlic over low heat until softened. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth;
- The authentic recipe only calls for aged, salted ricotta cheese from sheep’s milk, but you may replace it with cow’s milk ricotta cheese if you can’t find sheep’s ricotta. A more tolerant “school of thought” states that ricotta al forno or baked, where fresh ricotta is drained, sprinkled with salt, and baked in an oven, is by far tastier.
- The very last piece of advice is to not toss the eggplant pieces in the sauce.
never again bitter
Eggplant, mainly when they are not perfectly ripe, might leave a bitter after taste, which could spoil your dish. So, before frying, you should prepare them as follows:
- Remove the stem and leaves; then slice and dice them;
- Place the pieces in a strainer in a single layer and put the strainer directly in your kitchen sink;
- Generously sprinkle them with salt. Do not worry about the salt. Salted eggplant can sit for a long time without harming the taste or texture. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes;
- Rinse off the salt in cold running water;
- Pat them dry with a paper towel. This is important when frying eggplant pieces. If they are not dry, they will absorb too much oil and become indigestible.
Vegan or Vegetarian Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a dish that can easily be transformed into a vegetarian or vegan recipe without compromising its delicious flavor. It’s quite simple to make this change—just swap the traditional ricotta salata with a vegan cheese alternative, and you’ll achieve a similar, yet equally tasty and savory result. This small adjustment not only makes the dish suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. It also makes it a healthier option, as plant-based cheeses are often lower in fat and cholesterol. With this twist, you can enjoy a delicious, nutritious, and healthy version of Pasta alla Norma that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary preferences!
Pasta alla Norma
Ingredients
- 2 cup durum wheat semolina pasta
- 5 ripe tomatoes
- 1½ cup tomato puree
- 2 eggplants
- 1 cloves garlic
- 10 leaves fresh basil
- ¾ cup salted ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- coarse salt
Instructions
- Evenly dice the eggplant.
- Draw their bitter juices out. Place them into a strainer with salt for 30 minutes as described above.
- Fry the eggplant pieces in plenty of super-hot extra virgin olive oil.
- Make sure about the quantity and the temperature of the oil, it should be about 350°F (180°C). One trick to see if the oil is hot enough is to put a small piece of bread into the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. The eggplant pieces should float easily to the top of the oil. The thermic shock will seal the surface and prevent the food from getting too greasy.
- Drain them on a paper towel and keep warm.
- Remove the excess oil from the pan; make sure there are no burnt remnants of eggplant. Leave a little oil in the pan.
- Drop the tomatoes into plenty of boiling water for a couple of minutes so that they peel more easily. Remove the skin and seeds, coarsely chop them, and put them into the pan. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until tender. Remove it from the heat when done.
- Wash and dry the basil and add it to the tomato sauce.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water (follow the cooking time on the package).
- Drain it and put it into a serving bowl, add the tomato sauce, and toss well.
- Divide it into single-serve dishes and top with the eggplant pieces; sprinkle the tops with grated ricotta cheese and add some fresh basil leaves for a strong Mediterranean taste.
- The typical Sicilian way to serve your Pasta alla Norma is to lay some eggplant pieces in a shallow bowl, then place some pasta in the shape of a small volcano and top with a little tomato sauce. Top with more eggplant pieces and sprinkle with grated ricotta cheese. It vaguely resembles the Etna volcano; the tomato sauce is the lava flow, the white of the cheese is the snow on the top. Your Pasta alla Norma is ready to be served and enjoyed!
