
Pasta Alla Norma
Serves 415 mins prep20 mins cook
A classic Italian pasta dish featuring fried eggplant cubes and a simple tomato sauce.
0 servings
What you need

bunch fresh basil

fl oz olive oil

oz ricotta salata

tsp sugar

clove garlic clove
oz passata
lb pasta

eggplant
Instructions
Prep the eggplant: 1 Add the cubed eggplant into a colander over another bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Place a plate and then a weight on top of the eggplant and let it sit for 15-60 minutes. This removes the bitter flavor of the eggplant. Strain the liquid. 2 Add about 1/2 cup of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the eggplant in batches until golden brown. Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Make the sauce: 4 Add whole smashed garlic cloves to the remaining oil where you fried the eggplant. Once slightly golden, add in the pomodoro passata and fresh basil. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and optionally add sugar to taste. Cook the pasta and toss: 6 Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes until al dente. Transfer the pasta directly to the tomato sauce. Toss well to coat and finish cooking 1-2 minutes. Add half of the fried eggplant. Plate: 8 Garnish each dish of pasta with fried eggplant and a fresh grating of ricotta salata.View original recipe