Sicilian Eggplant Pasta (Pasta alla Norma)
Pasta alla Norma Say it: PAH-stah AH-lah NOR-mah
Pasta alla Norma is Sicily’s beloved pasta from Catania: golden fried eggplant, a bright tomato sauce, fresh basil, and a generous shower of salted ricotta salata. Often said to be named after Bellini’s opera Norma, it is an everyday celebration of late-summer vegetables, served as a hearty primo or light main. The sauce is sweet-tart, silky, and deeply savory; the eggplant turns creamy, and the dry ricotta adds a salty, milky finish. Rigatoni or spaghetti both work, but the sauce should cling to every bite.
Sicilian Eggplant Pasta (Pasta alla Norma)
Pasta alla Norma
Pronounced PAH-stah AH-lah NOR-mah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the eggplant and sauce
For the pasta and serving
Method
Toss the eggplant with 1 1/2 tsp salt in a colander and set aside for 20 minutes. Rinse briefly, then press between paper towels until very dry.
In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil over medium-high. Fry the eggplant in a single layer in batches until deep golden and soft at the edges, 3–4 minutes per batch; add more oil only if the pan looks dry. Transfer to paper towels.
Discard all but 2 tbsp of oil from the skillet (or add fresh oil to make 2 tbsp). Add the onion and a pinch of salt; cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them with their juices, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook rigatoni in well-salted boiling water until about 2 minutes short of al dente. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta water, then drain.
Stir the fried eggplant into the sauce and simmer 5 minutes so the eggplant absorbs the tomato. Taste and add salt if needed.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss over medium heat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce lightly coats each piece.
Remove from heat, tear in half the basil, and toss. Serve in warm bowls with a generous amount of ricotta salata, the remaining basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Regional variants
Some cooks use penne or spaghetti instead of rigatoni, and some add a spoonful of tomato paste for a deeper, sweeter sauce.
Cook's notes
- Salting the eggplant keeps it from absorbing too much oil and removes bitterness; don’t skip the drying step.
- Ricotta salata is a dry, salted sheep’s-milk cheese. If you can’t find it, aged pecorino Romano is the closest practical substitute; feta is saltier and wetter.
- Fry the eggplant in batches so the pan stays hot; overcrowding steams it instead of browning.
Serve with
Crusty Italian bread and a simple green salad; a glass of Sicilian red wine such as Nero d’Avola.
Make ahead and storage
The sauce (without pasta) keeps in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently while the pasta cooks.
