An easy twist on Pasta alla Norma, Sicily’s famous eggplant pasta with fragrant tomato sauce and ricotta salata cheese! I bake the eggplant in the oven until it’s perfectly tender while the tomato sauce happily bubbles on the stove for a weeknight-friendly dinner that’s ready in under an hour!
Pasta alla Norma is one of Sicily’s most loved summer dishes for good reason. Like many traditional Italian recipes, the ingredient list is short, and you don’t need fancy equipment or cheffy techniques to make it. What makes it so special is its simplicity, celebrating sunny Mediterranean flavors without anything extra.
Most Pasta alla Norma recipes call for frying the eggplant, but I find it easier (and just as delicious) to roast it in my oven. The gentle heat softens the eggplant until it’s beautifully tender, and you can make the tomato sauce while it bakes.
If you love other classics like eggplant parmesan and Italian caponata, you absolutely need to try this Pasta alla Norma recipe. If you’re an eggplant sceptic, I think this eggplant pasta will change your mind!
Table of Contents
What is in Pasta alla Norma?
To make Pasta alla Norma, you’ll need pasta, eggplant, tomato sauce, ricotta salata, basil, and olive oil. I made a quick tomato sauce myself as the eggplant roasted for this recipe. You’ll need:
- Eggplant: Select eggplant with deep-colored, shiny skins, and they should be heavy for their size.
- Garlic: Gives a deeply savory flavor to the simple tomato sauce.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Go for a quality olive oil with a pleasant taste. (I love the richness of our Italian Nocellara with this recipe.)
- Seasoning: Red pepper flakes bring a layer of heat to the quick tomato sauce for added complexity. Dried oregano is more concentrated than fresh, bringing a bold Mediterranean flavor to the easy sauce. Use a quality dried oregano with a green color and strong aroma. Kosher salt enhances the flavor.
- Canned diced tomatoes: If you have a can of whole tomatoes, simply pulse them in a food processor until diced.
- Pasta: Feel free to use what you have, but I prefer using a short cylinder-shaped pasta like rigatoni with ridges. The gaping center and the ridges will hold on to the tomato sauce, making every bite extra flavorful.
- Ricotta Salata: A semi-hard cheese made from sheep’s milk whey. (Just like traditional fresh ricotta, except it’s pressed, salted, and aged.) Salty, creamy, and mild, it gives a touch of richness without dominating. Substitute with Parmesan or Pecorino, or leave it off for a dairy-free option.
- Parsley brings a pop of color and freshness. Substitute with basil.
How to Make Pasta alla Norma
You want the eggplant to be very tender for this Pasta alla Norma recipe. Feel free to keep the tomato sauce simmering a bit longer if you’re working with a very firm eggplant. Here are the steps:
- Prep the eggplant. Trim 2 eggplants, then and partially peel them from top to bottom in a striped pattern. Slice them into 1/2-inch thick rounds, then season all over with salt. Set aside for a few minutes to expel their bitterness (ideally 30 minutes if you have time).
- Meanwhile, get ready to roast. Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush the bottom of a large sheet pan with olive oil. Mince 5 garlic cloves. Chop enough fresh parsley to get 1/2 cup. Grate 1/2 cup’s worth of Ricotta Salata.
- Roast the eggplant. Use a paper towel to wipe the eggplant dry and remove excess salt, then arrange the eggplant slices in the pans in one single layer. (Eggplant slices should not overlap, each should be comfortably touching the bottom of the sheet pan. Use two oiled sheet pans if necessary.) Roast in the heated oven for 20 minutes, then flip and rotate until deeply golden brown, anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a separate large deep pan, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, lower the heat and cook, tossing regularly, until the garlic gains a little bit of color. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), oregano, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let simmer briefly.
- Finish the sauce and cook the pasta. When the eggplant is golden and tender, remove from the oven and stir into the sauce. Let simmer while you cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions (mine took about 11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Finish and serve. Add the pasta to the sauce and give it a good stir. If the sauce looks a bit dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss until the pasta is well-coated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with the chopped parsley and grated ricotta salata.
What to Serve with Pasta alla Norma
The great thing about this eggplant pasta recipe is that it is a satisfying 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.
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Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian Eggplant Pasta)
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants (about 2 pounds in total)
- Kosher salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with their juices
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup grated ricotta salata
Instructions
- Prep the eggplant. Trim the eggplant, then and partially peel them from top to bottom in a striped pattern. Slice them into 1/2-inch thick rounds, then season all over with salt. Set aside for a few minutes to expel their bitterness (ideally 30 minutes if you have time).
- Meanwhile, get ready to roast. Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush the bottom of a large sheet pan with olive oil.
- Roast the eggplant. Use a paper towel to wipe the eggplant dry and remove excess salt, then arrange the eggplant slices in the pans in one single layer. (Eggplant slices should not overlap, each should be comfortably touching the bottom of the sheet pan. Use two oiled sheet pans if necessary.) Roast in the heated oven for 20 minutes, then flip and rotate until deeply golden brown, anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a separate large deep pan, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, lower the heat and cook, tossing regularly, until the garlic gains a little bit of color. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), oregano, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let simmer briefly.
- Finish the sauce and cook the pasta. When the eggplant is golden and tender, remove from the oven and stir into the sauce. Let simmer while you cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions (mine took about 11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Finish and serve. Add the pasta to the sauce and give it a good stir. If the sauce looks a bit dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss until the pasta is well-coated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with the chopped parsley and grated ricotta salata.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and oregano used in this recipe.
- Salting the eggplant before cooking is an optional step, but I do think it improves its flavor and texture
- Other tomato sauce options: 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.
- Make-ahead option: You can prepare the sauce and roast the eggplant one day in advance. Store them in the fridge in separate containers.
- Leftovers & Storage: Store leftover pasta all norma in a tight-lid container in the fridge for 3 days. Warm up over medium heat.
Nutrition
*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
Although I haven’t tried this recipe yet, I know it will be amazing! I do have a question — my husband is one of those who does not consider a meal complete without some form of protein (aka meat!). What might you suggest I add to accomplish that, without taking away from, or overpowering the eggplant?
Hi, Sue. I’ve never made this one with meat, but maybe you could try some ground beef, lamb or chicken? Another option would be to grill up some chicken to just serve alongside the pasta dish. Hope that helps!
I’m not usually one to leave comments but i loved how this recipe came together! Delicious. I made a few slight tweaks to work with what I had (crushed tomatoes, basil instead of parsley , and parmesan shavings). I also added a couple of a couple of handfuls of spinach into the sauce at the end. Thanks for a delicious and easy recipe that hits the spot! I’ve been craving a good pasta a la Norma for several years after first trying it in Europe….this took me back! 😊 love your recipes and your simple, fresh, accessible take on Mediterranean cooking!
Thank you, Sarah! So glad you enjoyed it!
This dish was so easy to make and tasted so good on a cold day. I love to throw some meatless meals in each week and this one is a keeper!
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
I like the simplicity of all your recipes- and this one did not disappoint!! Thank you
Thank you, Dharti!
My husband and I cannot eat eggplant because it hurts our stomachs so I replaced it with zucchini and prepared the same way. It is delicious and my kids loved it too! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing that adaptation, Jeannette! So glad your family enjoyed it!
I’m definitely making this nxt week, looks delicious n love eggplants., love all your recipes and thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Milette! Enjoy!!
This dish is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. Thanks for the delicious new pasta recipe!
Hope you enjoy it, Renee!
My stomach is growling as I’m scrolling through each photo so it’s safe to say this is being made for dinner this week. Pasta is always a winning dish in our home anyway but this is a terrific way to change it up.
Thanks, Jen!
I love having a pasta recipe that incorporates eggplant. This looks so simple and rewarding. Thanks for the comforting meal.
It’s a good one! Hope you enjoy it, Ginny!
I can’t resist a good pasta recipe. Especially when it looks this good!! Bookmarked for later, thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
My pleasure, Cathleen! Hope you enjoy it!
Rigatoni is one of my favorite pasta. Eggplants are also a perfect veggie now I need to go to the supermarket and buy some.
Hope you enjoy this one, Adriana!
My Vegan friends to surely have a treat. This is so easy and yet so delicious. Best Happy and comfort meal for my family too. They to love it for sure.
Thank you so much!!
Easy indeed but so full of flavor! We love trying new pasta dishes and this one is on the menu tonight!
Awesome!! You will LOVE it!
Now that looks like a superbly delicious way to enjoy eggplant, YUM!
It really is :). Hope you give it a try!!
This was fantastic everyone loved it and i can’t wait to make it again
Awesome! Thank you, Claudia!
Eggplant and pasta is such a great combo! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try 🙂
Enjoy!