Pasta Alla Norma, My Way
- Total Time
- 3 hours, most of it unattended
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 20 to 30cherry tomatoes, depending on size, cut in half
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Thyme sprigs, if you have them
- 2cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled
- 12small eggplants, about a pound total, trimmed and cut in half the long way
- 300grams of pasta, about ⅔ pound
- 2 to 3ounces ricotta salata, grated or diced small
- 20basil leaves, torn
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
782 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 136 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 1506 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Put the tomatoes in one layer in an ovenproof pan and drizzle them liberally with oil, then salt and sprinkle with thyme sprigs, if using. Roast for about an hour, then stir and roast for another half-hour or so. When tomatoes are shriveled, add garlic, turn down heat to 225 degrees and roast for at least another hour. They should not cook completely dry; if they threaten to overcook, turn the heat down or pull them out. Fish out the garlic if you like.
- Step 2
Sizzle the eggplant in about ¼ inch of oil over medium heat. The oil should bubble steadily. Turn eggplant as needed until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels, and when cool enough to handle, cut roughly into strips.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Add the eggplant to the tomatoes and stir. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Cook the pasta and warm a serving bowl. At the bottom of the bowl put half the sauce and half the ricotta salata. Add the pasta and the remaining sauce, cheese and basil and toss.
Private Notes
Comments
In pasta Norma it is essential to keep the tomatoes and the eggplants apart for as long as possible, because the acidity in the tomatoes kills the eggplants' flavor. In Sicily, the pasta is served tossed will all the ingredients except the eggplants, and the eggplants are added the table!
to reduce oil, I roast eggplant on a greased sheet for 12-15 mins @ 450, then seal in foil for 15 mins to finish cooking and soften
I do the same and, to save time, just cut up the eggplant and roast it with the cherry tomatoes, both with olive oil and a bit of salt. If I use some pasta water towards the final step, it adds the additional moisture needed to make up for less olive oil. This is a consistent family favorite.
In pasta Norma it is essential to keep the tomatoes and the eggplants apart for as long as possible, because the acidity in the tomatoes kills the eggplants' flavor. In Sicily, the pasta is served tossed will all the ingredients except the eggplants, and the eggplants are added the table!
Ricotta salata is not drained ricotta—even if you could find real ricotta in America which you generally can’t. (Those plastic tubs of “ricotta” in your grocery stores are actually curds or what Italians call primo sale.) Ricotta salata is aged ricotta, which dries and becomes a grating cheese. Other readers are correct to recommend various types of Mexican queso as a decent substitute.
Needs lots of pasta water to turn it into a sauce, and mashing the eggplant a bit helps everything integrate. I added red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon at the end. Super delicious, don’t skimp on the olive oil!
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