PASTA A LA NORMA

A la Norma is a dish offered in almost every restaurant in Catania, the second biggest city in Sicily and it unquestionably one of the most popular dishes in the area.  Story goes that in 1831 the Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini frequented the same restaurant while he was composing his opera La Norma and due to the fact that he ordered the same pasta every night, the proprietor decided to name the dish in honor of Bellini or rather his opera.

Another story that is equally accepted is that native playwright, Nino Mantoglio ate the same dish and by saying, “this is La Norma” it acquired its name.  In either case, no matter how the dish acquired its claim to fame, it is a mouthwatering, savory pasta recipe of the area and enormously easy to prepare and equally as glorious to behold.

The eggplants are cooked with a robust and piquant tomato sauce and the finishing touch is Ricotta Salata, a solid version of Ricotta, but instead of sweet it’s salty and drier.  Pecorino Romano can be substituted but the flavor won’t be the same or as authentic.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of eating Pasta a la Norma maybe this is something that you should make tonight!  I can guarantee that it will be a permanent addition to your pasta repertoire.

 

4 TBSP olive oil

1 whole eggplant or 3 small Japanese eggplants – peeled and cubed

2 large shallots – chopped

4 garlic cloves – finely chopped

1 ½ cups of homemade tomato sauce

½ cup of Ricotta Salata

1 TSP of red wine vinegar

1 TSP of sugar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 cup of fresh basil – chiffonade

2 TBSP of fresh chopped parsley

1 PKG of long pasta (reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid)

 

Place the cubed eggplant in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt letting it stand for about 15 minutes, as this removes the bitter taste of the eggplant.  Rinse and pat dry very well with some paper towels to remove the excess moisture.  In a skillet with high sides, heat the 4 TBSP of olive oil and sauté the cubed eggplant until it is soft and golden brown. You might have to do this in batches.  Remove to a plate but don’t drain on paper towels as the oil absorbed cooking the eggplant is one of the most important flavoring components to this dish.

In the same pan with some of the oil left over from cooking the eggplant, sweat the shallots, garlic and pepper flakes for a few minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and fresh ground pepper.

Boil some long pasta, drain and reserve ½ cup of the cooking water.  Add the cooked eggplant to warm through in the sauce, the parsley, basil and adjusting seasonings.  Incorporate the pasta into the skillet, with ½ cup of the cooking water and the cheese, mixing everything together.  Garnish with some more fresh basil, parsley and a sprinkling of the leftover cheese.

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