Pasta alla Norma is one of our newly found favorite dishes. We first came across it at Otto Enoteca in Greenwich Village, and have since made it numerous times for ourselves using Mario Batali's recipe from Molto Gusto.
The dish is essentially pasta and eggplant, but what differentiates pasta alla norma from any other pasta with eggplant dish is the preparation of the eggplant, and the use of ricotta salata. In pasta alla norma, the eggplant is fried to make it nice and crispy. The ricotta salata is a semi-hard version of ricotta that has a slightly salty and slightly creamy texture and makes for a really great combination with the pasta.
The version we make here is baked, which we like because it makes for a great texture. However, if you're weary about turning on the oven, you can skip the baking part and just serve the pasta with the fried eggplant covered in ricotta salata.
Making the Dish
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| Italian eggplants are generally small and have fewer seeds, making them less bitter than their larger cousins |
To get started, slice up your eggplant into thin rounds, about a quarter of an inch thick. In a non-stick pan, heat up some olive oil and bring it to a high heat. Just as the olive oil starts to smoke, add the eggplant in. You may need to do this in multiple batches, depending on how much you make.
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| Frying the eggplant, seasoned with salt and pepper |
Cook the eggplant on each side for about 3 - 5 minutes, until it becomes soft and somewhat caramelized. Season with salt and pepper as they cook.
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| The nicely browned eggplant rests on a paper towel |
Once the eggplant is done cooking and nicely browned, remove it from the pan and let it rest on a paper towel to absorb out the oil.
While the eggplant is resting, cook up your pasta. If you're going to bake it, cook until about 3 minutes shy of the package directions. You'll want it to be quite firm, as it will be finishing in the oven. If you don't plan to bake it, cook it until it's al dente.
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| Penne. Yum. |
Take advantage of the time the pasta is cooking to prepare your sauce and slice up your basil. We like to make a big portion of our sauce ahead of time and then have it available throughout the week for quick recipes. Or you can make it fresh for this dish, or use a sauce from a jar. Whichever way you go, try to use a sauce that's mostly plain so that it doesn't overpower the flavor of the eggplant.
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| Coating the penne with the tomato sauce |
Drain the pasta and then coat it with about half of the sauce. Toss together to make sure everything is nicely coated. Then cover the bottom of a baking dish with about a quarter cup of sauce, and spread a layer of pasta over it.
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| Layering the fried eggplant over the pasta |
Over the pasta, layer on the eggplant, some pecorino romano cheese, and freshly sliced basil. Top with more sauce, and then layer over another layer of pasta. Top that with more eggplant, pecorino, and basil, and a final layer of sauce.
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| Adding on the fresh basil |
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| The completed baking dish full of future pasta alla norma |
Serve out a portion of the bake into a bowl or a plate, and top with a generous grating of the ricotta salata to make it a pasta alla norma!
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| Out of the oven and looking really, really good. |
The Result
We hope you love this dish as much as we do. The savory, crispy flavor of the eggplant works beautifully in this dish, combining with the basil and the ricotta salata to make a truly unique and delicious flavor. The crispy texture gives it a very comforting feel, in our opinion, and makes it a joy to eat.
This is a dish we keep coming back to because it's relatively quick, easy to make, and has such a great payoff. We hope you give it a try and enjoy!
Click through to see the full ingredients list!
Pasta alla Norma
Adapted from: Mario Batali
A simple yet delicious meal
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
(Serves: 2 - 3)
2 Italian eggplants (small)
1/2 lb penne
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup pecorino romano
1 cup ricotta salata
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