Name: Pasta alla Norma (Pasta with Fried Aubergine and Tomatoes)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a first course, or 3 as a main course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb) fresh ripe tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped, or a 398 g can of chopped tomatoes; 100 g (3½ oz) dried salted ricotta, pecorino or mature Cheddar cheese, grated; 500 g (1 lb) aubergine, cut into matchstick-sized pieces; 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped; salt and pepper; 2 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 dried chilli, crumbled; 375 g (12 oz) penne; vegetable oil for frying

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a first course

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 5

Appears in

Pasta-lover's Cookbook

By Anna Del Conte

Published 1994

About

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.