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Pasta Alla Norma is the ultimate Sicilian pasta dish, characterized by sweet tomato sauce and savory, crispy eggplants. So beloved and delicious, according to food historians, the dish got its name from an Italian writer exclaiming “This is a real Norma!,” meaning masterpiece, when he tried it. This version amps up the cheesy and crispy aspect by baking it all on a baking sheet; all of the exposed surface area coated in cheese makes every bite perfection.
Category
Pasta
Servings
6
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
- 4 Japanese or Chinese eggplants (the long and thin variety) about 1 1/2 pounds, 1/2 inch dice*
-
1/4 cup olive oil
-
1 (19.4- ounce) jar tomato sauce with basil, such as Bio Orto
-
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup packed basil leaves, torn
-
2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
-
1 pound ziti rigate pasta
- 1 (6 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, about 1 1/2 cups
- *Chef’s Note: generic globe eggplants will work as well; replace with roughly 2 globe eggplants. Globe eggplants have more water content and may need to be roasted an extra 5 minutes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spread the eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Roast the eggplant until tender and lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes, basil and 1 cup of parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta until almost al dente, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of pasta water to the jar that the sauce was in and use the water to get all of the extra sauce. Add the saucy pasta water to the bowl with the other ingredients. Using a pasta spider, remove the pasta directly to the bowl with the sauce and toss well to combine. Stir in the eggplant and return the mixture to the already oiled sheet pan. Spread evenly on the pan and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and remaining 1 cup parmesan. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6
- per serving
- Calories
- 662
Amount/Serving
% Daily Value
- Carbs
- 80 grams
- Protein
- 32 grams
- Fat
- 24 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 10 grams
- Cholestrol
- 38 milligrams
- Sodium
- 631 milligrams
- Fiber
- 13 grams
- Sugar
- 15 grams
Let’s Cook
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Organic Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Discount Price Member
- $23.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $25.00
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Tomato Sauce With Basil
- Discount Price Member
- $12.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $13.50
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Sicilian Oregano Bunch
- Discount Price Member
- $7.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $7.50
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Ziti Rigati Pasta
- Discount Price Member
- $10.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $11.00
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Discount Price Member
- $23.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $25.00
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Tomato Sauce With Basil
- Discount Price Member
- $12.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $13.50
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Sicilian Oregano Bunch
- Discount Price Member
- $7.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $7.50
- Unit Price
- /per
Organic Ziti Rigati Pasta
- Discount Price Member
- $10.00
- Regular Price / Regular
- $11.00
- Unit Price
- /per
1 comment
This is an excellent eggplant pasta dish with a lightly spicy flavor. The recipe is easy to make and although I made one half of the recipe, we still had enough for leftovers. Pasta alla Norma is a crowd pleaser!