Pasta Alla Norma
A classic Italian pasta dish featuring fried eggplant cubes and a simple tomato sauce.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1-2 medium sized italian eggplant cubed into 1inch piece
- 2 cloves garlic
- 24 oz pomodoro passata
- Fresh basil
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/2 lb Pasta of choice I love mezzi rigatoni
- Olive oil
- Ricotta Salata
Instructions
Prep the eggplant:
- Add the cubed eggplant into a colander over another bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Place a plate and then a weight on top of the eggplant and let it sit for 15-60 minutes. This removes the bitter flavor of the eggplant. Strain the liquid.
- Add about 1/2 cup of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the eggplant in batches until golden brown. Remove onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Make the sauce:
- Add whole smashed garlic cloves to the remaining oil where you fried the eggplant. Once slightly golden, add in the pomodoro passata and fresh basil. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and optionally add sugar to taste.
Cook the pasta and toss:
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes until al dente. Transfer the pasta directly to the tomato sauce. Toss well to coat and finish cooking 1-2 minutes. Add half of the fried eggplant.
Plate:
- Garnish each dish of pasta with fried eggplant and a fresh grating of ricotta salata.
Nutrition
Calories: 876kcal | Carbohydrates: 178g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 774mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg
