Pasta alla Norma is a classic Italian dish from Sicily – from Catania, to be precise. A pasta dish with roasted aubergine and tomato in the two leading roles.
It is named after Vincenzo Bellini’s famous opera “Norma” and was created as a tribute to his masterpiece. The dish is loved for its simplicity and the clean, authentic flavours that capture the essence of Sicilian cooking.
To make Pasta alla Norma, the aubergines are roasted in the oven until tender and golden. Meanwhile, a rich tomato sauce is prepared with plenty of garlic, herbs and perhaps a little chilli for a touch of heat. Once the aubergines are done, they are folded into the sauce along with a little Parmesan and fresh basil, which gives the dish lovely depth and freshness.
This dish is well seasoned and full of flavour, and it can be served with exactly the type of pasta you prefer.
Whether you choose spaghetti, penne or rigatoni, Pasta alla Norma is sure to bring the taste of Sicily to your table.
Pasta alla Norma
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes 400 g each
- 4-500 g pasta
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 50 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 5 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only
- Oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Pasta cooking water
To serve
- Parmesan, for the top
Method
- Cut the aubergines into medium-sized cubes, toss them with oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.Tip: If you have the time, you can salt the aubergines before roasting. Salting them and leaving them to stand for about 30 minutes draws a lot of liquid out of them – and they will absorb less oil. After salting, rinse them thoroughly and pat them dry before roasting them with oil and freshly ground pepper.
- Roast them in a preheated conventional oven (top and bottom heat) at 225°C for about 25 minutes – turning them a couple of times along the way.Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
- Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and garlic gently until soft and translucent.
- Add the tomato purée and heat it through, then pour in the chopped tomatoes and the dried herbs. Let the sauce simmer while the aubergines finish roasting.At the same time, cook the pasta until al dente, timing it so that it needs only a couple more minutes when the aubergines are done.
- Fold the aubergines into the sauce and add the Parmesan and fresh basil.
- Toss the pasta into the sauce as well, and adjust the consistency with pasta cooking water.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper – and a pinch of chilli flakes, if you like.Serve with extra Parmesan on top.
Nutrition
Premium
Super lækker
Hej Lickan
Tusind tak for de søde ord:)
Warm wishes, Dianna
Smager ret autentisk (har smagt retten i Torino tidligere), og ekstra god med nogle gode oliven i
Hej Hanne
Det er jeg så glad for at høre – tusind tak fordi du skriver det 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Min nye yndlingsret !!!
Hej Erhardt
Hvor er det bare dejligt at høre – tak for feedback:)
Warm wishes, Dianna
Virkelig lækker! Især med parmesan osten
Hej Mette
Tusind tak for din søde besked 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Uffff den er god!!!
Tusind tak altså 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Den ser lækker ud 😛
Tusind tak Christian, det er jeg glad for du synes 🙂
Rigtig dejlig dag 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
🙂
Den skal være med tørret ricotta ikke parmesan.
Hej Torben
Jeg foretrækker den med parmesan – men det skal man jo gøre præcis som man ønsker 🙂
Kan du bedst lide den med ricotta salata, så skal du bare bruge det 😉
Dbh Dianna
Det ser virkelig lækkert ud – vi elsker Pasta alla Norma her hjemme
Hej Lars
Så dejligt at høre – håber du vil prøv opskriften 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna