Pasta Alla Norma Recipe | The Pasta You Didn’t Know You Needed

You’ve probably never heard of Pasta alla Norma… but after this video, you’ll wonder why the whole world isn’t obsessed with it.

►Full written recipe: https://thecookingfoodie.com/recipe/pasta-alla-norma-sicilian-eggplant-pasta/

► Equipment I used in this video: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thecookingfoodie

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Ingredients:
225g (8 oz) pasta (traditionally rigatoni, penne, or spaghetti)
1 Eggplant, medium-large
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
3-4 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Cans peeled tomatoes
Fresh basil
Ricotta Salata

Directions:
1. Prepare the Eggplants: preheat oven to 420F (210C). Cut the eggplant into bite-size pieces and transfer into a bowl, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
2. Spread the eggplant on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.
3. Make the Tomato Sauce: Heat 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Crush the canned peeled tomatoes with your hands or use a potato masher if using fresh tomatoes. You can do it in a bowl or directly in the pan. Add them to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Toss in a few basil leaves at the end for added flavor.
5. Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
6. Combine: Add the fried or baked eggplants to the tomato sauce and stir gently to coat. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, along with a splash of reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the sauce. Add about two-thirds of the cheese, reserving the rest for garnish. Toss everything together over low heat until the pasta is well coated.
7. Serve: Divide the pasta between bowls. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the individual servings, followed by some extra fresh basil.

pasta alanora a classic sicilian pasta dish that doesn’t get the flame it truly deserves but today we are going to fix it this dish is absolutely delicious and it’s time to give it the spotlight it deserves so let’s dive right in and make some amazing pasta to make this pasta you’ll need just a few simple ingredients pasta traditionally made with rietoni or penny which i’m using today but you can also use other shape as well garlic extra virgin olive oil canned peeled tomatoes i will share more about those later salt black pepper eggplant fresh basil and ricott salata now i know that ricotta salata can be tricky to find outside of italy or specialty stores but don’t worry later in this video i’ll share some great alternatives that you can use without sacrificing the deliciousness of the dish the first step is cooking the eggplant traditionally italians fry the eggplant in oil but to avoid a greasy dish we are going to bake it instead don’t worry baked eggplant is still delicious and i think it’s even better this way here is how to do it take one medium to large eggplant and cut it into bite-sized pieces traditionally eggplant cut into strips and sometimes rounds for this dish but i prefer bite-sized cubes they bake more evenly and they easier to eat and of course feel free to cut them into your preferred shape place the pieces in a bowl and drizzle with one to two tablespoons of olive oil season with salt and black pepper and toast until evenly coated spread the eggplant evenly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper if you think one to two tablespoons of olive oil is not enough feel free to adjust the oil you can add few more tablespoons of olive oil and bake in preheated oven at 420° f which is about 210° c for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden and soft while the eggplant bakes let’s move to the sauce today i’m using san marano tomatoes because they are the perfect fit for pasta and anora they are sweet less acidic and bring so much flavor if you don’t have sandal salon tomatoes marinara sauce or fresh ripe tomatoes works too or just make my homemade tomato sauce link to recipe in the description first place can tomatoes in a bowl and mash them with a fork or potato mash and set it aside in a large pan heat extra virgin olive oil and add crushed garlic cook it for about 30 to 60 seconds just until it becomes fragrant be careful not to burn it add the mashed tomatoes to the pan and cook it uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes before adding the tomatoes make sure your flame is on low heat while the sauce works its magic let’s prepare the pasta fill a large pot with water add a tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil pro tip start this step early because boiling water can take some time once the eggplant is golden and soft add it to the sauce stir well to combine and season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper now cook the pasta to al dente how do you know how long to cook well it’s simple check the instructions on the package if it says cook for 10 minutes cook it for 9 some brands even list the al dente time like here so keep an eye on that before draining the pasta reserve about half a cup of the pasta cooking water this starchy liquid helps to bind the sauce to the pasta drain the pasta and add it directly to the sauce then add the reserved pasta water a handful of fresh basil and freshly grated ricotta salata now let’s talk about ricott salata the name itself gives us a hint about what makes this cheese so unique ricott means recooked in italian referring to how the cheese is made and salata means salted unlike the soft creamy ricott most of us familiar with ricotta salata is pressed salted and aged resulting a firm crumbly texture this cheese is a staple in many italian dishes especially in sicily where it’s used to add a final touch of flavor and texture to pasta salads and even roasted vegetables if you can’t find ricotta salata no worries here are some great alternatives pecorino romano paragano rojano or even italians please don’t kill me feta cheese yes feta cheese works surprisingly well because it’s salty and tanny just like ricott salata so if ricotta salata isn’t an option use any of these cheeses and your dish will still taste amazing once everything is combined give it a good toss in the pan let it cook for about a minute to combine all the flavors serve it up on a plate and garnish with extra cheese and basil leaves mama mia so good