Pasta Alla Norma
If I had to choose, Italian is my favorite cuisine to eat, most specifically pasta. It’s comforting, versatile and tasty. One of my top favorite dishes is Pasta Alla Norma. As a pescatarian, eggplant is one of my preferred veggies to eat with pasta because it’s hearty. Whenever I’m at a restaurant and see this dish on the menu, it’s my go-to order. I’ve made eggplant before for other recipes, but I’ve never tried it for alla norma. This past Saturday was cold and wintery outside, making the perfect environment for cooking. After some research, I began cooking the traditional Sicilian dish, and it did not disappoint! The eggplant and pasta meld together and melt in your mouth.
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium/small eggplants
1 28 oz can tomatoes ( I recommend San Marzano)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
4–5 leaves fresh basil
Sprinkle of Ricotta salata or parmesan Reggiano
5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bag/box of pasta of your choice (rigatoni or penne is recommended)
Oil for frying ( I like olive oil here, plain olive oil works -not EVOO, or vegetable)
dash of Water
1/2 cup Pasta water
Salt and pepper
Step 1: Rinse the eggplant and cut into cubes
Step 2: sprinkle the eggplant with salt (a few teaspoons should work) and let sit in a colander over a bowl for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes are up, rinse the eggplant and pat dry
Step 3: heat up vegetable/olive oil in pan. Once hot, put in the eggplant making sure not to crowd it. Heat until brown, and then switch sides (about 5–7 minutes total). Repeat with all the eggplant then place on a plate with a paper towel to cool
Step 4: Follow instructions to make pasta
Step 5: Make sauce -first, crush the tomatoes with a masher in a bowl
Step 6: Put 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in another pan and warm up over medium heat. Once warmed, add garlic gloves and a little water(so they don’t burn). Let cook without burning ( about 30 seconds to 1 minute)
Step 7: Add tomatoes and lower the temperature. As the sauce is cooking, stir around with a wooden spoon or spatula until there is no more water (about 30 minutes). Then add salt/pepper to taste
Step 8: Add eggplant and a bunch of basil to the sauce, stir, and let simmer for 5 minutes
Step 9: Add cooked pasta to eggplant/sauce mix, as well as 1/2 cup pasta water -stir
Step 10: sprinkle with cheese of choice and sprig of basil and enjoy!
Adapted from Vincenzo’s Plate
