Sicilian Pasta alla Norma

This simple, traditional pasta dish from Sicily sings of sweet Mediterranean vegetables.

On a recent trip to Sicily I got to try the true Pasta alla Norma. Despite the hoo-hah around this dish, it’s actually a very simple preparation. True to many traditional Sicilian home dishes, there are no bells or whistles. Instead, this pasta dish is a celebration of Mediterranean vegetables: tomatoes, aubergines and of course, Norma. The dish is named after an opera masterpiece of the same name, composed by Vincenzo Bellini. Both opera and pasta dish were considered well-balanced, harmonious works of art, and pasta alla Norma is still an admired Sicilian dish today. To keep the integrity of the aubergine’s flavour, it’s usually deep-fried or roasted separately, then combined with the tomato sauce before it ultimately meets the pasta. This dish is traditionally served with a sheep’s cheese, ‘ricotta salata’, which is difficult to get outside of Italy. Instead, opt for a few thick shreds of pecorino romano cheese instead. Like many Sicilian sauces, this dish also boasts an ‘agrodolce’, a sweet-sour gastrique of brown sugar and vinegar which makes many Sicilian vegetable dishes sing with flavour. Let’s go!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)

• 250g dried pasta (ideally penne, rigatoni or spaghetti)

• 1x aubergine/eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2x cloves garlic, peeled and halved

• 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 400g canned plum tomatoes or passata

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 tsps red wine vinegar

• small bunch of fresh basil

WALKTHROUGH

1. First, let’s salt the aubergine/eggplant. Dice the aubergine into 1/2-inch dice and sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of salt. Leave the aubergine to drain in a colander for 20 minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid and discard it, before returning the pieces to a mixing bowl.

   

2. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the aubergine and toss until well-coated. Transfer the aubergine pieces to a baking tray or air-fryer basket. Bake at 180C/350F for 15 minutes until the aubergines are lightly golden. Set them aside.

   

   

3. Now let’s make the tomato sauce. Place a saucepan or frying pan onto a medium-low heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil followed by the 2 halved cloves of garlic. Allow the garlic to gently fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly golden. Remove the garlic cloves from the oil and discard.

   

4. Add the 1/2 tsp of dried chilli flakes and 1/4 tsp black pepper followed by the 400g of peeled plum tomatoes or passata. Bring the contents up to a boil and add 1 tsp salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 2 tsps red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is deep-red and rich, about 10-15 minutes. You should be able to draw a path through the pan with a wooden spoon.

   

   

5. Taste the sauce for seasoning, making adjustments with salt, sugar and/or vinegar.

6. Place your 250g chosen pasta onto boil in well-salted water. Cook until 2 minutes before the suggested packet instructions - the pasta should be very al dente.

7. Drain the pasta straight from the cooking water and add it to the pasta sauce. At the same time, add the roasted aubergine pieces. Combine the pasta, sauce and aubergine over medium heat and continue cooking the pasta for an extra minute until al dente.

   

   

   

8. Serve the pasta alla Norma with some thick shreds of pecorino cheese and some torn fresh basil. Enjoy!