Pasta all a Norma

Name: Pasta all a Norma
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1kg fresh tomatoes; 4 tbsp oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 eggplants, sliced (sprinkle the eggplants with a little salt); olive oil, for frying; 500g packet pasta (any pasta works well for this dish); salted ricotta (available in most delis)

Rosa Mitchell

December 19, 2016

Bravo to the tomato: Pasta all a Norma.Tim Grey

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:6

This dish is from Catania in Sicily, my birthplace. The Catanese loved Bellini's opera Norma so much they named this vegetarian pasta after it.

Ingredients

1kg fresh tomatoes
4 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 eggplants, sliced (sprinkle the eggplants with a little salt)
olive oil, for frying
500g packet pasta (any pasta works well for this dish)
salted ricotta (available in most delis)

Method

1. Slice the eggplants, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Blanch tomatoes in salted water for one minute then drop into cold water. Peel tomatoes then chop finely.
3. In a large frying pan, add the oil, then onions and cook slowly until golden. Add the tomatoes, season and cook slowly for about one hour.
4. Dry the eggplant on paper towels. Fry in a little oil until golden. Set aside.
5. Cook pasta, drain and add sauce. To serve, place two to three slices of the cooked eggplant on top of the pasta and grate the salted ricotta over the top.
ALSO COOK: Rosa's roasted capsicums with breadcrumbs and olives and her Sicilian pesto pasta with warm tomato salad