Sicilian eggplant pasta, the easy and light version - pasta alla norma
Let's travel straight to Catania in Sicily, where the delicate notes of grilled eggplant, juicy tomatoes and melting ricotta combine to create an easy and inexpensive summertime pasta dish! This recipe for "Pasta alla Norma" is both easy to make and delicious. It is also the perfect solution to satisfy your cravings for healthy Italian cuisine since in this recipe we have opted for baked eggplant rather than fried. Let yourself be seduced by the intoxicating scents and Mediterranean flavors and find out how to make this delicious, vegetarian pasta recipe in no time :-)
Ingredients
Pasta cooking:
Eggplant cooking:
Tomato sauce:
Materials
- parchment paper
You may like
Chicken ramen: the easy version of this iconic asian dish!
Preparation
Eggplant:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Wash and cut the eggplant into slices.
Arrange the slices on one or more baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
The sauce:
Pour a drizzle of olive oil in a hot pan and crush the garlic. Then add the tomato pulp and the sprig of basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes covered over low heat. After this time, remove the sprig of basil.
Pasta:
Boil a large volume of water with coarse salt. Cook the pasta al dente (the time is indicated on the package).
Drain the pasta and transfer it to the tomato sauce. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce.
Serve the pasta in a deep plate, add pieces of aubergine and grate ricotta salata on top. Sprinkle basil leaves on top to garnish. And There you go!
Observations
How long can I keep the pasta?
We advise you to eat them directly but you can keep them up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
How to cook eggplant in pasta à la norma?
Frying: It's the traditional way. Fry the eggplant pieces in oil (neutral oil: sunflower, rapeseed, etc.) very hot.
In the pan: You can cut the aubergine into small cubes and fry them in oil and garlic until they are well roasted.
In the oven: Cook the aubergine cut into 0.5 cm slices for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F (180°C), on one or more baking trays covered with parchment paper.
How to make tomato sauce?
Proceed in the same way but with fresh tomatoes and simmer for about thirty minutes before mixing everything. You can also peel the tomatoes beforehand or use canned peeled tomatoes.
Can I replace the ricotta salata cheese in Sicilian pasta?
You can replace the salted ricotta with manouri cheese, it's a Greek cheese.
How to make homemade ricotta salata?
You can make your homemade ricotta salata the day before: drain and dry the ricotta well then put it in the oven with salt and pepper for 6 to 8 hours at 210°F(100°C).
What pasta to use for Sicilian pasta?
We recommend maccheroni, rigatoni, or mezze maniche.
