Pasta with Eggplant and Ricotta Cooking Recipe – Pasta Alla Norma Recipe
This pasta dish, made with eggplant and ricotta, was named in honor of Vincenzo Bellini’s famous operaNorma by the inhabitants of Catania. Bellini was himself a Catanese.
Serves 4
Resting time: 30 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Pasta cooking time: follow packet instructions
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 20 fresh basil leaves
- 14 oz. (400 g) peeled tomatoes or
- 1 lb. 8 oz. (700 g) fresh ripe tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 3 ½ oz. (100 g) hard, salted ricotta
- 14-16 oz. (400-500 g) caserecce pasta
- Salt, pepper
Cooking Method
- Wash the eggplant, slice it finely, and place the slices in a colander.
- Sprinkle with the kosher salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and chop the garlic.
- Wash the basil and remove the leaves from the stalks.
- If necessary, peel the tomatoes (by immersing them for a few seconds in boiling water, then in cold water), then dice them.
- Cook them in a skillet with a little olive oil and the garlic.
- Add a few basil leaves, season with salt and pepper.
- Rinse the slices of eggplant, dry them, then brown in olive oil in another skillet or on a grill pan.
- Grate the ricotta.
- Cook the pasta, drain, then mix with the tomato sauce over the heat.
- Add the eggplant and remove from the heat.
- Sprinkle with the ricotta, decorate with a few fresh basil leaves, and serve.
Suggested food/wine match
- Firriato, Ribeca— Sicily IGT
