Pasta alla Norma is a classic Sicilian cuisine that I love very much!. There are some little secrets that make it even more rich and flavorful and these are passed down from mother to daughter, in fact I think every sicilian family has some small change that makes it even more special.
In my version of my grandmother / mother version, we love to prepare it with fresh homemade pasta, in this case I used a kind of trofie (but actually in our homemade pasta are called cavateddi made ca ugghia namely cavatelli made with needle to make the mesh), another little secret is to use eggplants not too fresh because they tend to be too softly instead we use a 2 0r 3 days old eggplant,when you fry it tend to be crispier.
Ingredients
- 12 ouncespasta ((350 g))
- 9 ounceseggplants ((250 g))
- 2 spoonsolive oil ((30ml))
- 2 ouncesonions ((50g))
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 1 kgtomatoes
- 10 leavesbasil
- 2 ouncesricotta cheese salted
- q.s.salt
- q.s.pepper
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Grater
- 1 Blender / Mixer
- 1 Colander
Dice or cut the eggplant into sticks, then put it in a colander, salt it lightly and allow it to drain for about 30 minutes.
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, fry the eggplant until golden. Transfer to a paper towel – lined plate.
Add the onion to the skillet along with garlic clove, add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, cook for about 10 minutes; then pass the mixture through a food blender. Add the eggplant to the tomato sauce.
Bring a pot of well – salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until ‘al dente’ drain, and pour it into a large bowl.
Add the sauce, stir and then add the basil.
Sprinkle with grated salted ricotta cheese and serve!
Enjoy by Lidia!