Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma (Catania, Sicily)

The signature pasta of Catania: a robust tomato sauce tossed with fried aubergine cubes and basil, finished with a generous grating of salty ricotta salata. The aubergine should be meltingly tender with crisp edges, and the sauce thick enough to coat the pasta without pooling on the plate.

Prep

20 min

Cook

40 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) aubergines (eggplants), firm, glossy skin; ideally the round Sicilian variety if available
• •400 g (14 oz) pasta, rigatoni or penne lisce; traditionally made in Catania with maccheroni alla Norma, a ridged hollow tube
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) ripe tomatoes, or passata, about 400 g / 14 oz, if fresh are not fragrant; San Marzano are the classic substitute
• •2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
• •1 small handful fresh basil leaves, torn at the end; reserve a few small leaves to garnish
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, plus extra for salting the aubergine and the pasta water
• •200 ml (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, divided; about 120 ml for frying aubergine, the rest for the sauce
• •1 pinch dried chilli flakes (peperoncino), optional; Catania tradition leans toward a subtle warmth
• •150 g (5¼ oz) ricotta salata, firm, dry, salty sheep's milk cheese, grated on a Microplane. Substitute only if truly unavailable (see step 6)

Steps

1. 1 Cut the aubergines into 1.5 cm (¾ in) cubes, keeping the skin on. Toss in a colander with 1 tsp salt and weight lightly; rest 20 minutes. Pat thoroughly dry with a clean cloth. Moisture and seed bitterness both drop during this step, so do not skip it.
2. 2 Heat about 120 ml of the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high until a cube sizzles immediately. Fry the aubergine in a single layer, in batches, turning occasionally, until deeply golden and tender, 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. A home kitchen cannot deep-fry exactly as a Sicilian trattoria does, but shallow-frying in plenty of oil gives the same result.
3. 3 Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil (about 12 g salt per litre).
4. 4 While the aubergine drains, make the sauce: warm the remaining olive oil in a wide pan over medium, add the garlic and the chilli (if using) and cook gently until fragrant, about 1 minute - do not brown the garlic.
5. 5 Add the chopped fresh tomatoes (or passata), season lightly with salt, and simmer 15–20 minutes until thick enough that a spoon leaves a brief trail. Crush any large tomato pieces with the back of a spoon.
6. 6 Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook 1 minute less than the package time for al dente. Reserve about 200 ml of the starchy pasta water before draining. Tip the aubergine into the sauce and fold gently; the aim is for the aubergine to absorb the tomato, not to crisp further.
7. 7 Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce along with most of the torn basil and a splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously over low heat for about 30 seconds until the sauce clings to every piece; loosen with more pasta water only if needed.
8. 8 Divide among warm plates, shower generously with the grated ricotta salata, and finish with the reserved basil. Serve immediately.
9. 9 Cheese note: ricotta salata is the only traditional choice; its dry, salty bite balances the sweet tomato and oily aubergine. A hard aged pecorino (e.g. Pecorino Romano) can stand in, but it is sharper and saltier, so use about two-thirds the volume and taste before adding more. Do not substitute fresh ricotta, which will simply melt away into the sauce.