This classic Sicilian dish, Pasta Alla Norma, brings together tender eggplant, aromatic herbs, and perfectly cooked pasta in just 42 minutes. With its rich Mediterranean flavors and wholesome ingredients, this 476-calorie meal delivers a satisfying blend of textures and tastes.
Whether you’re planning a weeknight dinner or hosting guests, this nutritious recipe offers 15g of protein and plenty of essential vitamins, making it both delicious and nourishing.
Ingredients for Pasta Alla Norma
- Tomatoes: 3.5 lbs ripe tomatoes – essential for a rich, flavorful sauce base
- Italian Eggplant: 1 lb purple eggplant – select firm ones with glossy skin
- Ricotta: ½ cup salted ricotta – adds wonderful creaminess
- Aromatics: 3 garlic cloves and fresh basil leaves – for authentic Italian flavor
- Olive Oil: 4 tablespoons plus extra for frying – use high-quality extra virgin
- Pasta: 3½ cups rigatoni or mezze maniche – perfect for holding sauce
- Seasonings: Fine and coarse salt, as needed
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare Eggplant: Slice eggplant ¼ inch lengthwise, salt, and let drain for 15 minutes to remove bitterness
- Make Sauce: Combine chopped tomatoes, oil, garlic, and basil. Simmer for 30 minutes until rich and fragrant
- Blend Sauce: Remove garlic if desired, purée tomatoes gently, then transfer to a frying pan
- Fry Eggplant: Cook eggplant slices at 350°F until golden, drain well on paper towels
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta in salted water until perfectly al dente
- Combine: Toss pasta with sauce and eggplant over high heat for 2 minutes
- Finish: Garnish with fresh basil and generous amounts of grated ricotta
- Serve: Present immediately while piping hot for the best experience
Cooking Techniques
This classic Sicilian dish brings together three key cooking methods that make it extra special. First, salting the eggplant (also called “purging”) helps remove any bitter flavors and extra moisture – don’t skip this step! The slow-cooked tomato sauce lets all those wonderful flavors meld together naturally.
And the eggplant frying technique gives you those perfectly golden, crispy slices that make this dish so amazing. Keep your oil at 350°F (180°C) for the best results – if you have a cooking thermometer, now’s the time to use it!
Make It Your Own
While this is a traditional recipe, you can adapt it to your taste! If you’d like a lighter version, try grilling or roasting the eggplant instead of frying. For extra protein, add some fresh mozzarella on top.
Can’t find salted ricotta? Regular ricotta mixed with a bit of pecorino romano makes a great substitute. And while rigatoni is traditional, any pasta that catches sauce well (like penne or fusilli) will work beautifully.
Serving Tips
Pasta alla Norma tastes best when served piping hot, right after mixing the pasta with the sauce. Put out extra grated ricotta so everyone can add more to taste – trust me, people love this! A simple green salad with lemon dressing makes the perfect side dish. And if you want to go full Sicilian style, serve it with a glass of local red wine like Nero d’Avola.
Storage & Leftovers
Keep any leftover sauce and eggplant separate from the pasta – this helps everything stay fresh longer. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, warm the sauce in a pan, then toss with freshly cooked pasta.
The fried eggplant might lose some crispiness, but will still taste amazing! The sauce also freezes well for up to 3 months – just thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to use.
Pasta Alla Norma
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Frying pan
- immersion blender
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 3.5 lb tomatoes, ripe (1.5 kg)
- 1 lb purple Italian eggplant (450g)
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, salted (100g)
- 3 garlic cloves
For the eggplant
- coarse salt
- 1 liter extra virgin olive oil or seed oil for frying
For the pasta
- 3 1/2 cups Barilla or De Cecco Rigatoni or Mezze Maniche pasta (360g)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the eggplant well. Cut the eggplant into slices about ¼ inch lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and leave slices to drain for at least 15 minutes.
- Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer them to a saucepan with oil, salt, 2 cloves of poached garlic, and basil. Allow it to cook for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the garlic (if you like more flavor, leave it in the tomatoes); Purée the tomatoes with an immersion blender at a very low speed.
- Transfer sauce to a frying pan, add the last clove of garlic and a few basil leaves.
- Fry eggplant slices at 350°F (180°C) in extra virgin olive oil, drain them, and pat them well with paper towels. Add slices to tomato sauce.
- Cook the pasta al dente in boiling salted water (3 liters of water with 1.5 tablesoons (30g) of salt). Drain when ready.
- Sauté the pasta in the pan with the sauce and eggplant over high heat for a couple of minutes.
- Flavor it with remaining basil, divided among the plates, and add a generous amount of grated salted ricotta on each plate.
- Serve the plates of Pasta Alla Norma while very hot.
