Pasta alla Norma is a wonderful Italian dish that combines eggplant with a rich tomato sauce. It's a vegetarian meal that’s so flavorful and filling, it can easily compete with any pasta dish out there. Pasta alla Norma is a favorite from Sicily, bringing together soft eggplant, a herby tomato sauce, and some tasty ricotta salata cheese. It’s a dish bursting with those comforting Italian flavors we all love, and even if you’re a meat lover, you’ll find this vegetarian pasta hard to resist!
Pasta Alla Norma - Silician Eggplant Pasta
I absolutely love cooking with eggplant. It’s hearty, easy to prepare, and takes on flavors really well. Plus, it’s a great ingredient to have on hand all year round because it’s versatile and budget-friendly.
One of my favorite ways to use eggplant is in Pasta alla Norma, a Sicilian dish. The recipe calls for frying the eggplant in oil, which brings out its rich flavor. I like to use tomato passata in this dish because it makes the sauce extra smooth and it clings beautifully to the pasta. It’s amazing how the sauce coats each strand of pasta and wraps around the tender roasted eggplant.
Pasta alla Norma is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can come together to create something truly delicious. This classic Italian dish is especially great in late summer or early fall when eggplants are at their best. It’s so hearty and satisfying that I find myself craving it all through the winter!
Jump to:
- Pasta Alla Norma - Silician Eggplant Pasta
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
- 🧾Pasta Alla Norma Ingredients
- 👩🏻🍳How to Make Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
- 🍽 What to Serve with Pasta alla Norma
- 💭Tips for Recipe Success
- 🍛More Pasta Recipes to Try!
- 🍛More Comfort Food Recipes!
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐Why You'll Love This Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
Easy to Prepare: Even with its elegant flavors, this recipe is simple to make. With just a few key ingredients and minimal prep, you can have a delicious homemade meal ready in under an hour.
Versatile and Adaptable: Feel free to swap Ricotta Salata for feta or adjust the seasoning to your taste. You can easily adapt the dish based on what you have on hand.
Great for Sharing: Perfect for family dinners or gatherings, this hearty dish is satisfying and pairs great with a side salad or crusty bread.
Sicilian Tradition: Pasta alla Norma is a classic Sicilian dish that brings a taste of timeless Italian flavors.
🧾Pasta Alla Norma Ingredients
Here’s the breakdown of what’s in this Pasta Alla Norma recipe or Eggplant pasta recipe:
Eggplant: I prefer medium eggplants since they’re less bitter and have fewer seeds, perfect for this pasta dish. They add a rich, savory depth with a creamy texture when cooked.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for its fruity, nutty flavor. It’s great for sautéing the eggplant and garlic, caramelizing them to enhance their sweetness.
Garlic Clove: Garlic adds extra flavor and depth to the sauce, bringing subtle heat and savory notes that complement the tomato and eggplant.
Passata: I love using tomato passata as the base of the sauce. It gives a rich, tangy tomato flavor that balances the eggplant’s richness. If you can’t find passata, tomato puree or diced canned tomatoes work too.
Salt and Black Pepper: These seasonings bring out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and eggplant, with black pepper adding a warm, earthy touch.
Fresh Basil: Fresh basil adds a bright, herbal note and a burst of freshness that contrasts beautifully with the rich sauce and eggplant.
Ricotta Salata: Ricotta Salata adds a salty, tangy, and creamy element to the dish. You can swap it with feta for a slightly different texture and tanginess, both adding richness and depth.
Pasta (Tagliatelle): I like using tagliatelle for its chewy texture and how well it holds the sauce. You can also use spaghetti, rigatoni, ziti, or any pasta you prefer.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
1. Dice the eggplant into cubes and place in pan with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat until golden and tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the eggplant and set it aside.
2. In the same pan, sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until it smells good. Add the tomato puree, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Add fresh basil to the tomato sauce and let it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook tagliatelle pasta al dente in boiling water seasoned with salt.
5. Once ready drain the past with a spaghetti spoon and add to the pan with tomato sauce, pour in a cup of pasta water. Stir to coat the pasta evenly.
6. Add grated ricotta salata to the pasta and mix until it's well-coated.
7. Serve the pasta with sautéed eggplant, grated Ricotta Salata, and fresh basil leaves.
🍽 What to Serve with Pasta alla Norma
What I love about this vegetarian pasta is that it's a complete meal—you don't need much else. But when I do add sides, I opt for fresh salads like Cold Stuffed Tomato Salad or Tuna Salad to contrast the hearty pasta. Tomato Bruschetta offers a bright, zesty touch, and crispy garlic bread is perfect for soaking up extra sauce. I enjoy pairing this Sicilian dish with lemonade, and for a sweet finish, I serve Tiramisu.
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Cook Garlic Gently: Garlic can burn and turn bitter quickly, so sauté it over medium heat until it’s fragrant and slightly golden. This will infuse the oil with its flavor.
Simmer the Tomato Sauce: Let the tomato sauce simmer on low for at least 15 minutes to bring out the flavors. If it tastes too acidic, balance it with a pinch of sugar.
Adjust Seasoning: Taste the sauce before mixing with pasta and adjust as needed. Add more salt, pepper, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra heat.
Cook Pasta Al Dente: Cook the pasta until just al dente, as it will finish cooking with the sauce. This keeps it from getting mushy.
Serve Fresh: Pasta alla Norma is best enjoyed fresh. Serve right after mixing the pasta with the sauce for the best texture and flavor.
Storage: Store leftover Pasta alla Norma in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
🍛More Pasta Recipes to Try!
If you love this Pasta alla Norma, you'll also adore these tasty Mediterranean pasta dishes: Homemade Pasta with Basil Pesto Sauce, Tuna Pasta Salad, Gigi Hadid Pasta, Chicken alfredo pasta fettuccine, and Cherry Tomato Pasta.
🍛More Comfort Food Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite comfort food recipes! Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Pasta Alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
Ingredients
For the Eggplant Tomato Sauce:
- 1 Eggplant
- 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- A Pinch of Salt
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 400 ml Passata or Tomato Puree
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Black Pepper
- Fresh Basil
- 100 g Ricotta Salata or Feta Cheese
For the Pasta:
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 250 g Pasta - Tagliatelle
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into small cubes, about 2.50 cm (1 inch) in size.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced eggplant, season with a pinch of salt, and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set it aside.
- In the same pan, add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the passata or tomato puree, then season with salt and black pepper.
- Add fresh basil to the tomato sauce and let the sauce simmer on low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water.
- Add the tagliatelle to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta with a spaghetti spoon and reserve the pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan with tomato sauce and pour a cup of pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Add grated ricotta salata to the pasta and mix until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Serve the pasta with sautéed eggplant and grated Ricotta Salata on top, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
his Pasta alla Norma is a true taste of Sicily! The eggplant was tender and the tomato sauce was rich and flavorful. The ricotta salata cheese was the perfect finishing touch.