Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian Eggplant Pasta)

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Pasta alla Norma is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes and holds a special place in my heart. It's a Sicilian eggplant pasta with a rich tomato sauce and golden pieces of eggplant that literally melt in your mouth…yum! It will transport you straight to Sicily!

Pasta alla Norma served on a plate with fresh basil

Pasta alla Norma is very nostalgic to me….it's a delicious eggplant pasta dish that originated in Sicily, which is where my husband is from. I tasted this pasta on my first trip to Sicily years ago and I instantly fell in love. We ate it literally everyday on our vacation and I've been obsessed with it ever since! It's also the first pasta my mother in law made for me. With her help and tips from Nonno, you can make it at home too!

Some more Sicilian recipes to try are my Sicilian pesto, cannoli dip and Italian potato salad.

I absolutely love eggplant and I love pasta, so to me this dish is a match made in heaven! Pasta alla norma consists of a lovely rich sugo (tomato sauce) with fresh basil, and filled with delicious eggplant pieces. The eggplant is cubed and pan fried in olive oil which makes them caramelized and golden, then added to the sauce. The flavor they add is magical! It's then traditionally served with a sprinkle of ricotta salata cheese for the final touch.

This recipe is easy to make with only 6 ingredients. It's also naturally vegetarian and can easily be made vegan too, just leave off the cheese at the end. The traditional cheese served in Sicily is called ricotta salata, which translates to "salty ricotta". Its a much firmer type of ricotta which has been pressed, salted and aged. If you can't find it, not to worry, use some Parmigiano Reggiano instead.

If you love eggplants as much as I do, you must also try some of my Persian dips kashke bademjan and mirza ghasemi or my eggplant stew.

Table of Contents

Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to make Pasta alla Norma
Tips and Tricks
Storage Instructions
FAQs
More Italian Pastas
Pairing
Recipe
Comments

Pan of pasta with ricotta salata grated on top

Why you'll love this recipe

Crazy Delish: A rich tomato sauce with golden eggplants and fresh basil topped with ricotta salata makes the perfect dish
Authentic Italian: With tips from my Sicilian in-laws, this dish will transport you straight to Catania Sicily, which is where it originated
Easy to Make: Just a few steps and 6 simple ingredients, anyone can make this
Family-Friendly: A crowd-pleasing dish that you can serve for a simple weeknight dinner or impress your guests

Ingredients and Substitutions

Eggplants also known as aubergines, are the hero of the dish! Black Italian eggplants are recommended as they're juicy with a meaty texture. Ensure to salt them as per the 1st step to remove the bitterness. If you prefer not to make fried eggplant, roasting in the oven can be done
Short pasta is what is traditionally served with pasta alla norma to capture the sauce, here I've used casarecce pasta which is Sicilian. It has little folds that are perfect for trapping the sauce. Maccheroni pasta is another traditional pasta used in Sicily. Feel free to add your favorite short pasta like penne, shells, or even rigatoni
Canned peeled tomatoes are the base of the sauce. Opt for high-quality Italian canned tomatoes for the best flavor. Crushed tomatoes or passata can be substituted for a quick cheat method, but it's not as good as whole tomatoes
Garlic for my fellow garlic lovers. The aromatic base for our delicious tomato sauce but you only need a couple so it doesn't overpower it
Fresh basil leaves are essential for that authentic Sicilian touch, to give the sauce a lovely freshness and beautiful aroma. If you can't get your hands on fresh, dried basil or dried oregano can be added but won't be the same
Extra virgin olive oil adds richness and depth to the eggplants which then gets carried to the yummy sauce
Ricotta salata is a salty, semi hard cheese traditionally served on top. You can substitute with pecorino romano or parmesan cheese if it’s not available to you
Garnish with cheese, extra fried eggplant slices, basil leaves and if you want a little chilli kick, you can add some red pepper flakes

Pasta alla Norma served with ricotta salata cheese

How to make Pasta alla Norma

This was my first taste of Sicily that made me appreciate how simple and flavorful pasta can be, if made correctly. I make this regularly and I'm sure you will too. Follow my simple steps below.

Prepare Eggplant

Chopped cube eggplants with salt in a strainer

Cut eggplants into bite sized cubes. Put in a colander with a plate underneath and sprinkle well with salt. Toss and leave aside for about 15-20 minutes (whilst waiting, jump to make the sauce steps)

Pat dry eggplants to remove excess water and salt

Eggplant cubes being fried in a pan with oil

In a large saucepan heat olive oil and cook eggplants in batches for a few minutes on each side (until golden)

Fried eggplants on a paper towl on plate

Add cooked eggplants on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil

Make Sauce

Garlic being fried with olive oil on a pan

Whilst eggplants are resting, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a saucepan with garlic

When garlic is lightly golden add canned tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon

Fresh basil added to a pan of tomato sauce

Tear in basil leaves, season with salt and simmer on low-medium heat with the lid on for 20 minutes

Immersion blended, blending tomato sauce

Take pan off the heat and using an immersion blender or standard blender, blend until smooth

Add half of the fried eggplants to the sauce. Simmer on low-medium heat for 10 minutes with lid on

Add cooked pasta (al dente) to the pan with remaining eggplant and a splash of pasta water. Cook together for 2 minutes and it's ready!

Cooked pasta with tomato sauce and eggplants in a pan

Tips and Tricks

Salt the eggplants! This allows them to drain in a colander and draw out moisture and bitterness. You then pat down the excess salt
Make it healthier by roasting eggplants or air fry them. Bear in mind, it's not traditional and wont taste as rich, but still yummy
Boil pasta 80% of the way and allow it to finish in the pasta sauce. This will give you the ultimate flavor
Always reserve pasta water! The starchy water is gold and creates a silky smooth consistency
If you have extra time, I like to fry the eggplants first and use the same saucepan to cook the sauce. It saves on dishes and you get extra flavor

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat for a few minutes with a splash of water to help it become saucy. You can also microwave it until heated through
You can also freeze the pasta sauce for up to 1-2 months and cook the pasta fresh when ready to serve

FAQs

What is Pasta alla Norma made of?

Its made with a rich tomato sauce called sugo which is seasoned with fresh basil leaves, along with eggplant cubes which have been fried and all tossed with short pasta. Its then traditionally topped with ricotta salata cheese

In which part of Italy was the Pasta alla Norma invented?

Pasta all Norma was originated in Sicily, more specifically the Catania region which is on the eastern coast

What does 'Alla Norma' mean?

Its said to be named after Vincenzo Bellini, who composed the opera Norma. The Iyalian writer Nino Martoglio exclaimed "This is a real 'Norma'!", meaning a masterpiece, when he tasted the dish (source)

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

Yes indeed! You can prepare the sauce and eggplants even the day before. Then simply reheat and toss everything together with cooked pasta when ready

Pan full of pasta alla norma with fresh basil on top

More Italian Pastas

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Pasta alla Norma:

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Pasta alla Norma photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

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