Pasta alla Norma

Name: Pasta alla Norma
Total time: 2400 s
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250 g pasta; 1 large aubergine; 500 g tomatoes; 1 clove garlic, finely sliced; 150 g salted ricotta, grated; 2 tbps olive oil plus 100ml for frying; 100 ml extra virgin olive oil; coarse sea salt; small handful of basil leaves

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

Thanks to the mild climate, the island of Sicily is rich in spices and aromatic plants. Oregano, mint and rosemary are used as condiments and the fertile soil produces oranges, lemons, olives, pistachios, almonds and prickly pears.

The old market in Ortigia has many stalls and sells a beautiful array of fruit, nuts, cheese, vegetables and fish. Intermingled are delis that serve the most fantastic dishes from brioche and granita early morning to small plates of schiacciate dell’Etna olives, pistachio pesto from Bronte, salami, capers, salted ricotta and arancini all enjoyed with the local wine, Nero D’Avola throughout the day.

Dinner is never rushed and ‘the appetite comes while you are eating’. It consists of Aperitivo, antipasta, primi, secondi, contorni, insalata, formaggi e frutta, dolce, caffe and digestivo.

Pasta alla Norma is often found in the primi section of the menus all over Sicily but its origin is linked to Catania region and the dish is a culinary tribute to the city’s most famous composer, Vincenzo Bellini and his opera, Norma.

The key to this dish is the quality of the ingredients - round Sicilian aubergines, vine tomatoes and salted ricotta are readily available in the UK.

The pasta I have used is mafaldine, named after the beautiful Princess Mafalda of Savoy, daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. It has long ribbons, similar to pappardelle, with scalloped edges and is perfect for capturing the sauce.

Serve with a simple orange salad.

Dinner is never rushed and ‘the appetite comes while you are eating’. It consists of Aperitivo, antipasta, primi, secondi, contorni, insalata, formaggi e frutta, dolce, caffe and digestivo.

Serve with a simple orange salad.

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

Dinner is never rushed and ‘the appetite comes while you are eating’. It consists of Aperitivo, antipasta, primi, secondi, contorni, insalata, formaggi e frutta, dolce, caffe and digestivo.

Serve with a simple orange salad.

Dinner is never rushed and ‘the appetite comes while you are eating’. It consists of Aperitivo, antipasta, primi, secondi, contorni, insalata, formaggi e frutta, dolce, caffe and digestivo.

Serve with a simple orange salad.

Saved

Ingredients

40 minutes

2 servings

250 gpasta
1large aubergine
500 gtomatoes
1 clovegarlic, finely sliced
150 gsalted ricotta, grated
2tbps olive oil plus 100ml for frying
100 mlextra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
small handful of basil leaves

Saved

Steps

40 minutes

1

Cut the aubergine in two and slice. Salt each layer with coarse salt, place in a colander and put a plate and weight on top. Set aside for 30 mins so that the aubergine loses its bitter taste.
2

Score the tomatoes on the bottom and blanch in boiling water for a few seconds before draining, removing the skin and chopping finely. In a pan heat the 2 tablespoons of oil, add the garlic, stir for a minute then add the diced tomatoes. Cook for at least 30 minutes over low heat and without a lid. Take off the heat and season with a little sea salt.
3

Rinse the aubergine to remove the salt and drain to remove any excess water. Cut into thick strips. In a frying pan heat the 100ml oil and when hot, fry the strips of aubergine until golden brown, then drain. Add the aubergine to the sauce and cook gently for another five minutes.
4

Place the pasta in boiling, salted water and cook until al dente then drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and add half of the salted ricotta and the basil and stir to combine. Top with the remaining ricotta.