Pasta Alla Norma Recipe (2024)

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Thomas Burke

Cut unpeeled eggplant into 1" cubes. In baking dish, combine eggplant, olive oil, 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, and sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, tossing occasionally. Eggplant will be custard-like.

For sauce: in skillet combine 3-4 tomatoes coarsely chopped, 2 tbs each of olive oil and tomato paste; and red pepper flakes and sea salt to taste. Simmer for 3/4 hours until it has a tomato jam-like consistency.

We use various cheeses: ricotta salata, Parmesan, or chevre.

Karen

This was delicious due in large part to some of the comments I read ahead of time. I, too, roasted the eggplant cubes that I'd tossed w/s+p for 25 minutes at 400. They came out perfect. For the sauce I used a large can of San Marzano tomatoes and 2 TBS tomato paste. I added red pepper flakes instead of the dried chiles. To my good fortune our local grocery had ricotta salata and that was a wonderful finishing touch. I will surely make this again with these modifications to the recipe.

juleezee

An old favorite, reimagined a bit and just as good. I'd suggest roasting the eggplant (cubed) in the oven at around 400F for about 25 minutes or so, tossed with oil and seasonings, on a sheet lined with parchment paper. Make the tomatoes while it's roasting, cook the pasta too and then assemble. Buon appetito!

topacho

1) Using Japanese eggplants (those with the purple, not green, calyx) will greatly improve the flavor: Japanese eggplants are much less bitter.2) For pasta alla Norma, it is essential to shield as much as possible the cooked eggplant from the tomato sauce: for reasons that perhaps a chemist could explain, the tomato sauce destroys the flavor of eggplants. Therefore, do not reheat the eggplant in the tomato sauce. Toss the past in the tomato sauce, add basil and only then add the eggplants.

Doug Johnston

If, on the front end, you cut the eggplant into cubes, salt lightly and then spread the cubes out on a microwave safe plate, lined with paper coffee filters, and microwave for 10 minutes on high power--a lot of the moisture in the eggplant is drawn out--the end result are cubes that brown better AND soak up less of the EVOO...

Linda O

This dish is even better with slow roasted tomatoes. Halfway through roasting, drizzle the tomato olive oil over the eggplant. Replenish the olive oil for the tomatoes. Continue roasting. Then you have this amazing eggplant with roasted tomato oil.

Patricia

Frying eggplant requires higher heat to reduce the amount of oil required. Roasting is easier and/or safer.

Joel Nydahl

Mark,

Diced tomatoes commonly come in 14.5 oz. cans, whole tomatoes in 28 oz. cans. Which do you mean? I'm guesssing the 28 oz. one--but who can be sure? Thanks for all the great recipes over the years!

Sue Llewellyn

DEFINITELY cubed, unpeeled, oven-roasted eggplant, tossed with olive oil, S&P, red pepper flakes and even some dried oregano--but FORTY mins @ 400 degrees is far too long; the result should still have a little textural integrity, or all you'll be left with is bits of peel in the tomato sauce! (And speaking of latter, if--like me--you make the occasional batch of your own tomato sauce and freeze it in smaller portions, you can easily use some of it in the recipe.)

Beth Bochnak

The last time I made this I brushed the eggplant slices w olive oil and grilled them. It used a lot less olive oil and the eggplant was very tasty and not dry.

Figaro

Am I the only person out there with a panini grill? Brush your eggplant with oil and grill them until browned & soft. BTW, these machines are great for grilling peppers, onions, zucchini, etc. A nice perk: put the grilling surfaces in the dishwasher - easy cleanup.

Ricotta Salata can be hard to find, but coarsely grated Pecorino Romano is great with this dish. It has the saltiness required. San Marzano tomatoes rule. Try adding an onion; use crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Kathy

I cut the eggplant in cubes and roasted them with EVOO, salt and pepper. Used canned whole San Marzano tomatoes,a spoonful of tomato paste, red pepper flakes and added a couple of sardines for depth. Didn't have ricotta salata so used combo feta and fresh Parmesan. Great and fast. Recommend pasta with shape to hold the sauce better.

Christine F.

Roasted the eggplant and fresh tomatoes for ~30 minutes at 400. Tasty!

Rafael

I loved it, but and this is a big one. Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil, if the idea is to consume 1/2 a gallon of olive oil in one sitting then this is a great recipe. I squeezed the eggplants with the tongues I used to flip them. This released a lot of the oil and made the eggplant less oil saturated. After all is a pasta dish it should not cost $30.00 dollars in olive oil

John

Very tasty! I think 1 pound of pasta is way to much for the sauce that is prepared. I was digging through a pile of pasta looking for the goodies.

Elizabeth Thomas

Lovely recipe. The olive oil is the point!It makes this recipe unctuous . Making the recipe as it is written will result in a rich and decadent pasta, so if that’s what you want, just follow the recipe. This is not diet food, but it does not claim to be . Delicious!

pamela

Roasted the eggplant in an air fryer at 400 for 20 minutes.

Laura Di Battista, Toronto

I was lucky to eat this pasta dish in Sicily a couple of years ago. This recipe is Italian cooking personified. There are just a few ingredients, but they turn into a delicious dish. I fried the eggplant...stop being so afraid of oil you New Yorkers! I halved the pasta and added the same amount of eggplant. Great vegetarian dinner (and I'm not vegetarian)

miranda

Deserves its 5 stars for flavor, ease and adaptability(more garlic, please). Follow the notes on eggplant prep in the oven -- 25-30 minutes.

Lex

Like others, I also roasted my eggplant, then for the tomatoes used a 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes. I let it simmer for around 40 minutes (didn’t have more time). Dish was delicious, especially with the pecorino romano sprinkled on top.

Ann B.

I made this almost exactly as directed, although only a half recipe, and it was spectacular. The only difference: I used about a third of a pound of linguine instead of a half pound for two servings. Yes, the eggplant soaks up olive oil, but while it’s cooking it releases a lot of it too. So it’s not oily. My husband ate an entire plate (which he NEVER does with anything—how he was brought up). The only question I had was at what temp do you cook the eggplant? I tried a lot of temps.

Samantha

I have made this twice. It is absolutely delicious and one of my favorites. Frying the eggplant is time-consuming and requires a large quantity of oil. I recommend putting on the lid when frying the egg plant to help reduce the quantity of oil. I've tried it with fresh and canned tomatoes (large can, diced, and strained); fresh tomatoes are preferred. I plan on taking others' advice and baking the eggplant in the future to reduce the amount of oil used.

roast eggplant

Roast eggplant at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

manju

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will definitely roast the eggplants. Do I need to salt, wait and drain the eggplant cubes before roasting? Thanks

Trader Joes super cheat

In a pinch I used TJs canned eggplant and onion combo and a large can of whole Cento tomatoes. Had that nice depth from the eggplant and was a great and super fast weeknight dinner. I hope to make the full version soon!

Elizabeth

Oh wow, this is good. I almost took all the reader suggestions and roasted the eggplant but I decided to follow the recipe. I’ll try roasting instead at some point but I can’t imagine it would yield remotely the same result. Done Mark Bittman’s way, the eggplant basically breaks down into the sauce. At least it did for me. I couldn’t find ricotta salata so I used pecorino as recommended. Delish!

Lisa T

I made this tonight and it was delicious. I cut the eggplant into 1" cubes and combined them with olive oil, 1/2 a tsp of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Then I baked them for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. After about 12 minutes, I added my chopped tomatoes, garlic and oregano to the pan. I continued roasting for an additional 25 - 30 minutes. Finally, I added the basil and pasta. Roasting it all together makes it an easy dish.

Matt

I listened to a lot of the comments below (about throwing the eggplant in the oven), but frying in the same pan as the sauce gets made adds an extra oomph to the flavor and recommend sticking with that.

BE

Cube eggplant and roast for 20 minutes

Wren

If you have a countertop oven with air fryer basket, eggplant cooks perfectly, browned on all sides but soft inside. Cube and toss with oil/seasonings first. 15-20 minutes at 425.

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Pasta Alla Norma Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called Pasta Norma? ›

Pasta alla norma is a celebrated dish from Catania that they say got its name from the opera by Vincenzo Bellini: “Chista è 'na vera Norma!”, meaning, “This is a real Norma (i.e.: masterpiece)”, is what the famous Catanese comedy writer Nino Martoglio exclaimed when he tasted it.

What is Pasta alla Norma sicilian eggplant dish? ›

Originally from Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Pasta alla Norma is a delicious Sicilian pasta made with tender eggplant and tossed in a herby tomato sauce and a sprinkle of ricotta salata cheese. This eggplant pasta recipe makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner that even meat lovers enjoy!

What wine goes with Pasta alla Norma? ›

Nero d'Avola, a red wine from Sicily, would be a natural pairing for Pasta alla Norma. This wine is known for its bold fruit flavors, often reminiscent of black cherries and plums, which would complement the tomato-based sauce of the dish.

What is the best way to prepare eggplant? ›

Cook as desired. Eggplants can be grilled, steamed, braised, stir-fried, deep-fried and roasted. For a smoky flavour, turn whole eggplants over an open flame on the barbecue or stovetop until the skin is charred, then scoop out the flesh. Choose eggplants with smooth and shiny skin that is even across the surface.

What is the queen of pasta? ›

Nadia Caterina Munno is the self-proclaimed The Pasta Queen.

What do New Yorkers call pasta sauce? ›

NY Times food editor Craig Claiborne wrote in 1979 that there was no difference, but the word sauce had a “more sophisticated ring to it.” Some people think only New Yorkers or pre-WWII immigrants say gravy and that more recent immigrants say sauce.

What is the holy trinity of Italian pasta? ›

Three of the iconic pastas of Rome have their differences, but the use of Pecorino Romano sheep's milk cheese is the common denominator. Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana are the holy trinity of Roman pasta dishes on restaurant menus.

Why do Italians like eggplant so much? ›

Originally from India, the eggplant was widely used in North Africa, from where the Moors took it to Sicily. While the eggplant became a “much-loved staple food” for the Sicilians, Nacamulli says, it was regarded with suspicion and looked down on by central and northern Italians.

Do Italians add wine to pasta sauce? ›

The acidity of the wine will instead be very useful if you want to give a sour, astringent flavor to the dish. This is the reason why in Italian cuisine it is not common to add wine to a tomato sauce, where the tomato already has a strong acidity.

What wine is best for Italian tomato sauce? ›

Tomato-based sauces are powerfully tasting and highly acid – and are often blended with rich, red meats. Because of the acidity in tomatoes, a relatively tart red wine with middle-weight body (like a Pinot Noir) is your best option.

What pasta goes with Pinot Grigio? ›

Rich and creamy pasta dishes like this carbonara with winter squash, pancetta, and fresh sage or fettuccine alfredo with freshly grated parmesan pair well with a crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio.

Why do you soak eggplant in vinegar? ›

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness. This step also helps preserve some of the skin's color so it stays a vibrant purple even after cooking.

Is eggplant good for blood pressure? ›

So now, in addition to my meds, if my pressure goes up, I eat a little eggplant. That works every time! A: Japanese researchers noted that eggplant is rich in acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter with an effect on blood pressure.

What does the word Norma mean in Italian? ›

[ feminine ] /'nɔrma/ (regola) rule , regulation , standard. norma igienica sanitary regulation.

Where does Pasta alla Norma originate? ›

Here's the skinny on pasta alla Norma, one of Sicily's most epic dishes. Eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and ricotta salata – these four ingredients are the fundamentals of pasta alla norma, a dish that originated in Catania, a city on Sicily's west coast.

What do real Italians call pasta? ›

Italians call spaghetti “spaghetti “ and pasta “ pasta “.

What was pasta originally called? ›

The word 'pasta' is an Italian word meaning 'paste', referring to the paste that pasta dough is made from with egg or water and flour. However, before Italian pasta as we know of, was all over the world, pasta was called 'maccaronaro'. This means 'kneading dough with energy'.

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