Easy pasta alla norma recipe

Eggplant is the star in this celebration of late summer. Sicily’s iconic pasta dish is deliciously simple and requires only a handful of ingredients.

Pasta alla Norma is a mid-week staple.

Eggplant is the star in this celebration of late summer. Sicily’s iconic pasta dish is deliciously simple and requires only a handful of ingredients and it remains one of our all-time favourite pasta sauces.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g can plum tomatoes
• 150g dried rigatoni
• Small handful basil leaves, torn
• 30g ricotta salata or pecorino cheese, finely grated

Recipe

1. Chop the eggplant into 2cm chunks and put in a colander. Sprinkle with salt then leave to sit for 10 minutes to draw out the excess moisture. Wipe with kitchen paper.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat then add the aubergine in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Cook for 5-8 minutes until softened and golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or your hands as you do so. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water until al dente (about 8 minutes). Reserve a little of the cooking water before draining. Stir the cooked pasta into the eggplant sauce, adding enough of the cooking water to help it emulsify. Add the basil then serve topped with the pecorino.

Try these other pasta recipes

•  Skye McAlpine’s spaghetti with creamy lemon sauce
•  Tagliatelle with gorgonzola, pear and walnut
•  Elizabeth Hewson’s broadbean pasta

This recipe was originally published on Delicious