Pasta alla Norma is a classic and timeless Italian dish, hailing from the Sicilian city of Catania. It features eggplant—lots of it—in a simple marinara-style tomato sauce. While the ingredients technically qualify it as a late summer dish, it can be prepared year-round, which is good news for us. For something so simple, the flavors are warm, rich, and comforting—which provides a perfect balm, Italian-style, during the frenzied holidays.
For an authentic pasta alla Norma, the eggplant is fried until soft, golden, and slightly caramelized, then tumbled with a short tubular pasta, a shower of sharp and salty ricotta salata cheese and fresh basil leaves. In this recipe, I have made a few minor adjustments.
