Pasta alla Norma

As the Italian name of the recipe suggests, this sauce was dedicated by the Sicilians to Vincenzo Bellini, native of Catania and composer of the opera Norma.

The cheese used in the original recipe is dried, salted ricotta, which is not easily available in this country. Mild provolone is a good substitute, or, failing that, a mature Cheddar cheese. I find that nowadays there is no need to sweat the aubergines in salt to get rid of their bitter liquid.