Pasta alla Norma is one of Sicily’s most iconic dishes. It’s a pasta that doesn’t require many ingredients – just a few carefully selected products are enough to create something truly delicious.
The sweetness of ripe tomatoes, the creamy texture of eggplant, the freshness of basil, and the bold character of ricotta salata come together in a composition that is both simple and refined.
Ingredients (3–4 servings)
• 250–300 g pasta (rigatoni or penne)
• 1 large eggplant
• 400 g tomato passata
• 1 clove of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil (preferably Sicilian Nocellara dell'Etna)
• fresh basil
• approx. 50 g ricotta salata
• salt
Preparation
Start with the eggplant. Rinse it under running water, then cut into approximately 1 cm slices. Lightly salt on both sides and place in a colander for at least 15 minutes. After this time, it should release some moisture. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry, and fry in olive oil until golden.
In the same pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil, then add the passata and simmer for several minutes. Add a few fresh basil leaves and some of the fried eggplant, gently breaking it down in the pan.
Cook the pasta al dente and gently combine it with the sauce.
Serve topped with grated ricotta salata, fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
FUN FACT – Who was “Norma”?
Legend has it that the Sicilian writer Nino Martoglio, delighted by the taste of this dish, exclaimed: “Chisti è na vera Norma!” – “This is a true Norma!”
He compared its perfection to the famous opera by Vincenzo Bellini, a composer born in Catania – just like Pasta alla Norma itself. It was in this Sicilian city that the dish originated, and to this day it remains a symbol of culinary perfection.
Buon appetito!
