Pasta alla Norma is a basic and timeless Italian dish, hailing from the Sicilian metropolis of Catania. It options eggplant — plenty of it — in a easy marinara-style tomato sauce. Whereas the elements technically qualify it as a late summer time dish, it may be ready year-round, which is nice information for us. For one thing so easy, the flavors are heat, wealthy and comforting — which supplies an ideal balm, Italian-style, in the course of the frenzied holidays.
For an genuine pasta alla Norma, the eggplant is fried till gentle, golden and barely caramelized, then tumbled with a brief tubular pasta, a bathe of sharp and salty ricotta salata cheese and recent basil leaves. On this recipe, I’ve made a couple of minor changes.
First, I oven-roast the eggplant to cut back the quantity of oil wanted to coax them into squidgy goodness. Eggplants are primarily sponges and can take in all of the oil through which they cook dinner. Roasting the eggplant reduces the required quantity of oil a notch, whereas nonetheless offering a superb shellack for meltingly gentle and flavorful outcomes. As for the sauce, within the peak of tomato season, it’s finest to make use of the pulp of recent tomatoes. Out of season (and for comfort), I exploit canned crushed Italian plum tomatoes or passata. And, lastly, for the standard end with a beneficiant sprinkling of the aforementioned ricotta salata, I substitute Pecorino Romano cheese, one other Italian sheep cheese that can be sharp and salty, since I virtually all the time have it in my fridge.
And for these inquiring minds who want to know who Norma is, the title is a reference to the Italian opera “Norma” by Vincenzo Bellini. Legend has it that this dish was created for the world premiere of the opera on the twenty sixth of December in 1831, which affirms that even the Italians can get pleasure from this summery dish year-round.
Rigatoni alla Norma
Prep time: half-hour
Complete time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to five
Additional-virgin olive oil
2 kilos eggplant, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2-inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly floor black pepper
2 giant garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed pink pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes or passata
1 pound rigatoni
1/4 cup torn recent basil leaves
1/2 cup coarsely grated Pecorino Romano or ricotta salata cheese
Warmth the oven to 400 levels. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
Unfold 3 to 4 tablespoons oil on the parchment. Add the eggplant slices and switch to totally coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Switch to the oven and roast till the eggplant is golden brown and really gentle, about 40 minutes, turning a few times.
Whereas the eggplant is roasting, warmth 1 tablespoon oil in a big, deep skillet over medium warmth. Add the garlic, crushed pink pepper flakes and oregano and saute till the garlic is gentle and aromatic with out coloring, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir within the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
Deliver a big pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook dinner for 1 minute lower than al dente per bundle directions. Scoop out 1/4 cup cooking water and drain the pasta.
Add the roasted eggplant and pasta to the sauce and stir to mix over medium-low warmth for about 30 seconds. If too thick, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons reserved cooking water. Stir in half of the basil.
Serve the pasta heat, sprinkled with the cheese and remaining basil.