Originally posted on April 12, 2010
We recently visited Sicily for the first time and I was happy to find a dish I had never heard of before, Pasta alla Norma. I don’t think I would have ordered it except I saw it on every menu and got curious. I was pleasantly surprised to find this dish delicious whether with pasta or even with pizza.
Eggplants or melanzane (plural), are prevalent in Sicily and are used in dishes like caponata and pasta. Pasta alla Norma is a popular dish you can find almost any where there but was originated from Catania, a city on the eastern coast of the island. Nino Martoglio, an Italian writer and poet, was so enthusiastic with this dish that he compared it with the awe of the opera Norma, written by Catanese composer Vincenzo Bellini. If you like eggplant parmesan, you might say the same thing.
The recipes I found have three basic elements:
1) Saute or roast eggplant until soft and sweet
2) Cook the tomato sauce, then add the eggplant
3) Add the sauce and cheese to the pasta.
If you don’t wish to make the sauce from scratch, use your favorite pre-made variety. It’s the combination of the flavors that really make the difference. I would also suggest making a double batch of tomato sauce and using half for this dish and half for later.
You can also make Pizza alla Norma by adding fried eggplant to your pizza along with some extra sharp cheese.
So, either way, make a batch, open a robust red wine, sit back and enjoy.
Gluten Free Pasta alla Norma aka Pasta with Eggplant
Serves 4
- 2 Italian eggplants, peeled and cubed Salt
- 2 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 quart So Simple Tomato sauce or your favorite sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
- 12 ounces gluten-free pasta like penne or fusuli
- Grated hard ricotta salada cheese (not ricotta) or parmesan or peccorino cheese
- Place eggplant on paper towels and toss with salt. Set aside for about 10 minutes to help remove water. Pat dry.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large sautè pan. Add enough eggplant to cover the bottom and cook until brown on each side. Do this in two or three batches. Alternatively, roast eggplant in the oven. Place eggplant coated in olive oil on a baking sheet in the oven at 400ºF for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, place eggplant aside.
- Heat a large pot of water on high for the pasta. Cook pasta according to the directions to al dente, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce in another medium to large pot. Keep at a simmer.
- Add eggplant at the very end and cook 3 more minutes.
- When the pasta is done, add to the sauce with the eggplant and simmer 2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency. Add the fresh basil.
- Serve pasta and top with cheese.
Leave a Reply