Pasta alla Norma

Delicious pasta alla Norma is roasted eggplant tossed with a flavorful marinara sauce and topped with fresh basil. 

I found this simple recipe for pasta alla Norma on Recipe Tin Eats and thought it sounded delicious. Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian pasta dish with eggplant, marinara and basil. The eggplant is typically sauteed with lots of oil but I liked that this recipe roasts it instead. This delicious eggplant pasta paired nicely with a big salad and crusty bread.

How to Make Pasta alla Norma

Ingredients

Marinara:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs or oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 24 oz tomato passata
• 1/4 cup water
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 10 oz spaghetti or other pasta, long or short (rigatoni, fettuccini, penne, bucatini)

Eggplant:

• • 2 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Serving:

• 1/2 cup basil leaves,  chopped
• Parmesan cheese, grated (or ricotta salata which is more traditional)

Make the marinara by heating the oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and cooked through.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add white wine. Let it simmer, scraping the pan to deglaze, until the wine mostly evaporates, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomato passata. Pour the water into the passata bottle, screw on the lid, shake, then pour into the sauce (this way you use all of the passata!). Add the sugar then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; stir well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, while the eggplant roasts.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare the eggplant by tossing it with the olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper until evenly coated then spread it out on a baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, tossing the eggplant halfway through roasting time.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente per package instructions in well-salted water; drain.

For serving, carefully stir the eggplant into the sauce, then add cooked and drained pasta. VERY GENTLY toss until the pasta is coated in the sauce but make sure the eggplant doesn’t turn into mush.

Serve immediately, with lots of fresh basil and parmesan (or ricotta salata).

Pasta alla Norma

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Author: Adapted by Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by Recipe Tin Eats

Equipment

• Small Dutch Oven
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

Marinara:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs or oregano
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 24 oz tomato passata
• ¼ cup water
• Pinch of sugar, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 10 oz spaghetti or other pasta, long or short (rigatoni, fettuccini, penne, bucatini)

Eggplant:

• 2 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Serving:

• ½ cup basil leaves, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, grated (or ricotta salata which is more traditional)

Instructions

• Make the marinara by heating the oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and cooked through.
• Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add white wine. Let it simmer, scraping the pan to deglaze, until the wine mostly evaporates, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomato passata. Pour the water into the passata bottle, screw on the lid, shake, then pour into the sauce (this way you use all of the passata!). Add the sugar then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; stir well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, while the eggplant roasts.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Prepare the eggplant by tossing it with the olive oil, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper until evenly coated then spread it out on a baking sheet.
• Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, tossing the eggplant halfway through roasting time.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente per package instructions in well-salted water; drain.
• For serving, carefully stir the eggplant into the sauce, then add cooked and drained pasta. VERY GENTLY toss until the pasta is coated in the sauce but make sure the eggplant doesn't turn into mush.
• Serve immediately, with lots of fresh basil and parmesan (or ricotta salata).

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