Easy Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla norma is a satisfying Sicilian pasta with tender eggplant, herby tomato sauce, and ricotta salata cheese. All the comforting Italian flavors we love in just one pan. This is a vegetarian main dish that even meat lovers will enjoy! (Tips & how-to video below)

Pasta alla norma is originally from Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily. This simple Sicilian pasta is loaded with tender eggplant, tossed in an herby tomato sauce, and finished with a sprinkle of ricotta salata cheese.

This eggplant pasta recipe makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner that even meat lovers enjoy. And if you love dishes like eggplant parmesan and Italian caponata, you will defintely want to try this pasta alla norma recipe!

Pasta alla norma ingredients

There are four simple components to this eggplant pasta recipe, and it takes just a few ingredients that are fairly available year-round. Here's what you'll need:

• Eggplant. You'll need two globe eggplants. Select eggplant with deep-colored, shiny skins, and they should be heavy for their size.
  
• Tomato sauce (marinara sauce). It's easy to make this pasta sauce using extra virgin olive oil, canned diced tomatoes, minced garlic, dried oregano, curshed pepper flakes (if you don't mind a little heat), and a dash of kosher salt and black pepper. (If you keep some homemade spagetti sauce in your fridge, that will work too. Or, if you're too short on time, you can use a quality store-bought marinara sauce instead).
  
• Pasta. For this recipe I prefer using a short cylindar-shaped pasta like rigatoni with ridges. The gaping center and the ridges will hold on to the tomato sauce, making every bite extra flavorful.
  
• Finishing touches. A good sprinkle of ricotta salata cheese (which is a salty and more firm than ricotta) and fresh parsley finish this pasta alla norma recipe.

How to cook eggplant for this eggplant pasta?

For a traditional pasta alla norma recipe, you'll start by frying the eggplant. Don't get me wrong, I love tender fried eggplant but it does take a bit more work and can be messy.

In this lightened up version, I decided to roast the eggplant slices with a little bit of good extra virgin olive oil. And while the eggplant is roasting, I can make the sauce and get my pasta started.

A high heated oven is best for roasted eggplant (I set mine to 425 degrees F). And it's important to arrange the eggplant slices comfortably on your sheet pan in one single layer (use two sheet pans if needed).

Should you salt eggplant before you cook it?

We've touched on this hotly debated topic before. Salting the eggplant before cooking is an optional step, but I believe it does make a difference in flavoring the eggplant and helping improve its spongy texture.

If you have the time, sprinkle the eggplant slices on both sides with a bit of kosher salt and set them aside on a flat surface for a few minutes (30 minutes or so). Using a paper towel, wipe the eggplant dry and remove excess salt before cooking.

How to make pasta alla norma (step-by-step)

(See the print-friendly recipe with ingredient list below)

• Roast the eggplant
  Slice the eggplant into rounds, and if you have the time, sprinkle with salt and allow it a few minutes to "sweat." Wipe dry with a paper towel before roasting. Arrange the eggplant slices directly on a lightly oiled large sheet pan (or two).
  Give the eggplant slices a good brush of extra virgin olive oil and roast in 425 degree heated-oven for 30 minutes (turning over once midway through) until the eggplant is soft and golden brown (yes, you want the eggplant to cook fully until nice and tender and well-colored)
  
  
  
• Make the tomato sauce
  You'll need a large deep pan to make the sauce (everything will go in this pan later). Heat a bit of extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) until shimmering but not smoking. Cook the garlic and red pepper flakes, tossing regularly over medium-low heat (don't let the garlic burn). Add in the diced tomatoes (canned tomatoes), oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until nice and thick (about 15 minutes or so).  
  
• Cook the pasta
  While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta. Rigatoni cooks in salted boiling water in about 1o to 11 minutes (consult the pacakage instructions to cook your pasta to al dante). Be sure not to overcook the pasta, it will have a couple minutes more to cook in the sauce. Drain the pasta but be sure to keep a bit of the pasta water.
  
  
  
• Combine the eggplant, sauce, and pasta
  Put it all together! Once the eggplant is roasted, add it in the sauce and let it simmer a little while as the pasta cooks. When the pasta is ready, mix it in with the eggplant and the sauce. Add a little bit of the pasta water to help mix things together. Give everything a good toss and allow a couple of minutes for the pasta to absorb the sauce.
  
  
  
• Finish with ricotta salata and fresh parsley
  Add a good sprinkle of salty ricotta salata and a handful of fresh parsley (and for me, I like a little more crushed red pepper flakes for heat).
  
  

Serve it with

The great thing about this eggplant pasta dish is that it is a great meal by itself, you don't need to add much else to the dinner table. I like to start with a big fresh salad like this white bean salad or a simple lemony arugula salad.

And if you need a fun Italian appetizer, maybe throw in some antipasti skewers!

Hungry for more? Check out more Italian recipes; the ribollita soup and chicken piccata are fan favorites!

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