Pasta alla Norma #SoloBites #eggplant #pastarecipe #cookingvideo #italianfood

Pasta alla Norma
Serves: 2

This was my first time ever trying eggplant, let alone cooking it, but this pasta is genuinely so good; it’s flavourful, filling, and super easy. While the eggplant roasts, the sauce simmers to thicken and deepen its flavours. Toss in some fresh basil and some ricotta salata for even more flavour!

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
salt, pepper – to taste
oil

Pasta:
170g pasta – I used rigatoni
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
400ml crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp (or more/less) chili flakes
salt, pepper – to taste
handful of basil
1/2 540ml can chickpeas (about 150g drained) – optional, boosts protein and fibre
1-4 tbsp ricotta salata (optional) – I couldn’t find this so I skipped it

Method:
1. Preheat oven or air fryer to 400°F.
2. Cut eggplant into bite-sized cubes. Toss with some oil, salt, and pepper, baking for 30 mins (oven) or 20 mins (air fryer) until tender.
3. Meanwhile, dice onion and mince garlic. If using, blend chickpeas with 1/2 cup of water. Set aside.
4. In a pan, saute onion for a couple of minutes before adding in garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant.
5. Pour in crushed tomatoes and water (or chickpea-water mixture). Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes.
6. While that simmers, cook pasta until al dente. Strain and reserve some pasta water.
7. When the eggplant is done, add into the sauce alongside basil. Let simmer until thickened and coated.
8. Add in the cooked pasta, alongside some pasta water. Toss to combine.
9. Serve, optionally topped with ricotta salata and/or fresh basil.

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To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect going into this. I have never had eggplant, let alone cooked it, but it was honestly amazing and one of the best pastas I’ve ever had. And it’s super easy to make. Start by dicing up an eggplant and toss it in some salt and pepper. And then pop that in the oven for about 30 minutes to roast. And while it’s roasting, dice up half an onion and a clove of garlic. Then in a large pan, saute those until it becomes nice and fragrant. Toast some chili flakes for a bit and then add in some water and crushed tomatoes. I blended half a can of chickpeas with about 1 cup of water to boost the protein, but half a cup of water works just as well. Give it a season with some salt, pepper, and oregano and let that simmer for 20 minutes while the eggplant finishes roasting. When the eggplant is done, add it in and give it a good mix to combine and coat. Mix in some cooked pasta of your choice. I use riatoni, basil, and some pasta water. Then it’s ready to serve. Top it off with some more basil and optionally some ricotta salada, but I couldn’t find any, which is just as fine.