Pasta Alla Norma, Eggplant Pasta

Pasta alla Norma is a traditional Sicilian pasta dish made with eggplant, tomatoes, basil and topped with Ricotta Salata cheese. This flavourful and comforting dish is simple and easy to make, suited to weeknights.

Originating in Catania, Pasta alla Norma is one of Sicily's most famous pasta dishes. It's made with fried eggplant, tomatoes, basil and topped with shavings of Ricotta Salata.

It's simple, easy and loaded with flavour suited to weeknights or when you're craving a big bowl of comforting pasta.

If you're not keen on frying the eggplant don't worry, we have instructions on how to roast it too.

Ingredients – what you need

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this good eggplant pasta plus some important notes on the ingredients.

• Pasta – traditionally Macaroni is use to make Pasta alla Norma but any short pasta will do such as rigatoni (pictured above) or penne.
• Eggplant (aubergine) – look for an eggplant that's shiny, firm and heavy. You don't need to salt or peel it before using.
• Canned plum tomatoes – use high-quality canned tomatoes it'll make or break your sauce so it's important. We recommend using Mutti or Cirio brands Cento is another brand that's highly recommended in the US but we've never tried it.
• Garlic – fresh garlic adds a ton of flavour, don't use ground or powdered garlic.
• Basil – fresh basil is a must don't use any dried herbs here.
• Ricotta Salata (salted ricotta) – if you look at the photo above you'll see that it's different from creamy ricotta. If you can't find this cheese you can top your pasta with Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino.

Step by step photos and instructions

Cut the eggplant (aubergine) into 1/2 inch sized cubes there's no need to salt or peel it.

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan on a medium heat. Once hot add the eggplant and fry until golden and cooked through (5-8 minutes). Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt (photos 1-3).

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than the packet instructions).

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the finely chopped garlic to the skillet with a little olive oil (photo 4).

Fry for a few seconds until fragrant then add the tomatoes and chopped fresh basil. Use a wooden spoon to break up the whole tomatoes into the sauce, season with salt (photos 5&6).

Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes until the pasta is ready. Add the pasta to the sauce with the eggplant and toss to combine in the sauce (photos 7&8).

Serve in bowl with a grating of ricotta salata on top.

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Quality of the eggplant – when choosing the eggplant make sure it's heavy and firm. It shouldn't feel spongey when pressed or be bruised.
• Salt the eggplant after cooking – there's no need to salt the eggplant to release excess moisture before cooking but we do need to add flavour afterwards so sprinkle some sea salt over it as it's draining on kitchen paper.
• Canned tomatoes – We say this over and over but high quality tomatoes are a must for a good tasting sauce especially when the recipe is quick. We use canned whole plum tomatoes but you can also use crushed or tomato passata (tomato puree in the US).
• Make it spicy – if you'd like to add a little heat you could add fresh red chilli in with the garlic or red pepper flakes to the sauce.

Can we roast the eggplant instead of frying?

Absolutely, roasting the eggplant will make the dish slightly healthier since there is less oil involved but won't give you an authentic taste. Toss the eggplant in olive oil, scatter on a baking sheet and bake at 220C/430F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Can we freeze this?

Although it's safe to freeze we don't recommend it as the eggplant will become mushy and tasteless.

What can we use instead of Ricotta Salata?

This can be a tricky ingredient to find outside of Italy. If you don't have it we suggest using Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino. You could also try mixing one of those cheeses with a little feta to try and replicate the tanginess of the ricotta salata.

Is this pasta vegetarian?

Ricotta Salata is not a vegetarian friendly cheese so omit the cheese to make this meal completely vegetarian.

What does Pasta alla Norma mean?

The name Pasta alla Norma is said to have come from a Sicilian playwriter and producer named Nino Martoglio. As he was eating the pasta he said it was so good he compared it to the opera named “La Norma”.You can listen to La Norma here composed by Vincenzo Bellini.

More Italian recipes you might like

• Sicilian Pizza (Lo Sfincione)
• Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
• Eggplant Lasagna with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
• Italian Stuffed Eggplant (Mozzarella and Tomato)
• Vegetable Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta
• Cavatelli and Broccoli Pasta

This post was first published on the 21st of September 2017 but has since been updated.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 medium/large eggplant (aubergine) (cut into 1/2 inch sized cubes)
• 14 oz rigatoni or short pasta shape ((400g))
• 28 oz canned whole plum tomatoes ((800g))
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 large handful fresh basil (roughly chopped)
• Ricotta Salata (for grating on top (see notes))
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• salt

Method

1. Cut the eggplant (aubergine) into 1/2 inch sized cubes there's no need to salt or peel it.

2. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan on a medium heat. Once hot add the eggplant and fry until golden and cooked through (5-8 minutes). Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt .

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta (14oz/400g) until al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than the packet instructions).

4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the finely chopped garlic (2 cloves) to the skillet with a little olive oil

5. Fry for a few seconds until fragrant then add the tomatoes (2 cans) and chopped fresh basil (large handful). Use a wooden spoon to break up the whole tomatoes into the sauce, season with salt.

6. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes until the pasta is ready. Add the pasta to the sauce with the eggplant and toss to combine in the sauce.

7. Serve in bowls with a grating of ricotta salata on top.

Kitchen notes

• Quality of the eggplant when choosing the eggplant make sure it's heavy and firm. It shouldn't feel spongy when pressed or be bruised.
• Salt the eggplant after cooking there's no need to salt the eggplant to release excess moisture before cooking but we do need to add flavour afterwards so sprinkle some sea salt over it as it's draining on kitchen paper.
• Ricotta Salata This can be a tricky ingredient to find outside of Italy. If you don't have it we suggest using Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino. You could also try mixing one of those cheeses with a little feta to try and replicate the tanginess of the ricotta salata.
• Canned tomatoes We say this over and over but high-quality tomatoes are a must for a good tasting sauce especially when the recipe is quick. We use canned whole plum tomatoes but you can also use crushed or tomato passata (tomato puree in the US).
• Make it spicy if you'd like to add a little heat you could add fresh red chilli in with the garlic or red pepper flakes to the sauce.
• Roast instead of frying roasting the eggplant will make the dish slightly healthier since there is less oil involved but won't give you an authentic taste. Toss the eggplant in olive oil, scatter on a baking sheet and bake at 220C/430F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
• Leftovers & storage leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days. We don't recommend freezing.