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Pasta alla Norma is a popular pasta dish in Sicily. One of the key ingredients is ricotta salata. This is not the same as everyday ricotta. I order the cheese online as it is not easily available in supermarkets or local shops. Don’t substitute it with Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano as the dish won’t be the same. In Italy, pasta shapes are often associated with specific regions and paired with specific sauces. Unusually, there seems to be little consensus on the best shape to use for pasta alla Norma. But I think short tubular pasta e.g. penne or rigatoni will work well.
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergine (about 600g), cut into rounds about 1cm thick
- 60 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
- 400 g canned San Marzano PDO or plum tomatoes
- 350 g dried penne rigate
- 50 g ricotta salata, grated
- 12 basil leaves, roughly torn
Instructions
- Submerge the aubergine in salted water for 1 hour. Wash them in a colander. Squeeze out any excessive water, and dry with a kitchen towel.
- Deep fry the dried aubergine in plenty of oil until caramelised.
- Fry the garlic in the oil under medium heat until browned. Discard the garlic. Add the tomatoes and chilli flakes. Cook for about 15 minutes. Towards the end mash the tomatoes a little to create a rough sauce.
- Meanwhile, cook the penne in plenty of boiling salted water until it is almost al dente. Drain. Save some of the pasta cooking water.
- Mix in the aubergine and pasta into the tomato sauce. Warm through and cook until the pasta is al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add some pasta cooking water if the sauce becomes dry. Serve with the grated ricotta salata and basil leaves on top.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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