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.
Suzy,,
This is so so delicious! I do not usually love eggplant, but I salted roasted and chopped. Yum! Thank you.
I’m glad you loved it, Sue!
sensational and simple pasta dish! thanks Susi!! I liked the grilled aubergine and made some extra for my salad which was njum.
Forgot the rating! Five stars, if it wasn’t clear from my comment 🙂
I am originally from Catania, so I grew up eating this dish. Your recipe is the first one I’ve found in English that is 100% correct, down to the fried eggplants and the ricotta salata. Well done!
The only thing I would add, from years of experience in making pasta alla norma in a lighter version, is that I do salt the eggplants, but I put them covered in a container with a weighted object on top, so that the slices/cubes are well-pressed. After an hour, I thoroughly rinse the eggplant, then I cook it in a non-stick pan, without adding oil or salt. It stays tender and tastes sweet. Sometimes I add the tomato sauce in the same pan with some onions, so all the ingredients and flavours mix.
To everyone who wants to try an original Italian recipe, this one is perfect for you!
To anyone wanting to add protein, just do what we do in Italy: have a second course of your favourite protein (meat, poultry, tofu…) and the salad Suzy suggested and enjoy your Italian meal!
Wow! Thank you for the very kind review, Maria! Thank you for sharing your eggplant tips!
Another delicious recipe!! Thank you Suzy!
Aloha!
I tried it for the first time today. Absolutely delicious.
Awesome! Thanks, Becky!
This was so good! So much flavor- will definitely be making this again and again!
Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful, Sue!
Since I have been following your web site and using your recipes, this is my first failure. I am a bit nervous using eggplants so before embarking on the making of this dish, I read your recipe and comments very carefully and watched your video then set to work. Unfortunately the dish was inedible, just far too salty.
I am not giving up on the dish however ,and I am going to make it again, but next time, I am not going to salt the eggplant first. I am going to grill them on my bar-b-que (coat with oil and herbs first) and cook them for a couple of minutes on each side until they have that nice grilled look, then use them in the Pasta all Norma Recipe.
I also read some other recipes using eggplants but the method of cooking the eggplant varied. Some said to salt them, then thoroughly rinse them with water afterwards and others said, dont bother salting them at all. Anyway, as I said, I not going to salt them next time and I will grill them first on the bar-b-que.
I am sure everything will work out fine this way.
Thanks for sharing, William. I hope you give it another try with your adaptations and come back to let us know how it worked out.
In my review of this recipe on July 21 2021, (above) I expressed my disappointment at the result after trying it out. The problem for me was that after following the recipe as written, the dish was far too salty and really, inedible. However, as indicated in my review, I said that I was not giving up because this dish has potential, so I tried it out again. This time, I did not salt the eggplants prior to cooking (as per step 1 in the recipe). I cut the eggplant into approximately half inch (2.5cm) rounds, brushed each side with olive oil, then grilled them on my bar b que (over the flame) for approximately 2/3 minutes each side – until they had a nice charred grilled look (carful not to burn them). If you don’t want to bar b que the eggplant, you could cook it this way on a heavy skillet. Then again, you could roast it as per step 3 in the recipe. When the eggplant is cooked I then followed the recipe without any further changes. The end result was a delicious dish, boosted by the flavour of the grilled eggplant. This recipe will now go into our regular meal time recipe list.
Hi, William. I’m so glad you tried this one again! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
I tossed in 2 minced anchovies with the garlic and chillis which brought the taste to a whole new level.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Maureen!
Do you think I could add portobello mushrooms. Roasted in oven?
Sure!
So I added the roasted portabellos,,some red Onion, & red peppers (fresh, roasted)
It was amazing!!!! Could not get ricotta salata so I added a little fresh goat cheese. Really top notch! Thank you!
I love pasta and am trying to go more plant based, so this was a great recipe to try. Really tasty overall, but I would caution anyone to check on the eggplant while roasting as some of my smaller rounds ended up burning. Could be an issue with my oven or maybe I sliced some too thin.
The detailed instructions at the beginning say roast for 30 minutes, but the recipe card section says 35-40 (which is what I did). Would recommend checking after 30 and then going longer if needed.
This sounds spectacular! Do you have a recommendation for adding a protein (meat!) for my husband?
Hi, Sue! You can add whatever protein you enjoy… chicken, ground meat, etc. Enjoy!
I made this last night and as usual no one was disappointed. 🙂 I couldn’t find Ricotta salata so I used Pecorini instead . Delicious meal with lots of flavours.
I made this for my family not knowing if it would be well received or not. None of us have eaten eggplant and have always been stand offish for some reason towards it. I followed the directions just as written and I have to say that this recipe was unbelievably delicious! If I could rate it higher than 5 stars I would! There is so much flavor, and it’s so filling – I can’t wait to make it again! It’s one of those dishes that you can’t stop thinking about because it’s so good. Thank you for this recipe!
Wonderful!! I’m so glad this was such a hit for you all!
What an outstanding dish! Easy to make and so tasty! Thanks for another winning recipe, Suzy!
So glad you enjoyed it, Claudia!
Not a big fan of eggplant can zucchini will do?
Hi, Connie! Another reader substituted zucchini for the eggplant and had success, so it sounds like it’s worth a try :).