Pasta alla Norma - Chef Sabrina Mancin

Pasta alla Norma

This absolutely delicious rigatoni with eggplant tomato sauce and smoked ricotta cheese is a traditional pasta dish from Sicily, Italy. My recipe is lighter than the traditional because the eggplants are baked instead of fried but just as scrumptious. For the procedure, check out my Reel on Instagram.

INGREDIENTS

• 185g = 1 ½ cups Carrots, chopped small
• 225g = 2 cups Red onions, chopped small
• 3 cloves of garlic, whole
• 2 cans (794g =28oz each)
Whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling at the end
• 4 Chinese eggplants
(or any firm to the touch eggplant)
• Smoked ricotta cheese or good quality Pecorino cheese. Otherwise, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
• Rigatoni or your favorite short pasta

MARMALADE

  • Add the evoo in a shallow to medium height pot and heat to a medium heat.
  • Add the garlic cloves and infuse in the oil until they become golden. Be careful not to burn them as this will give the sauce a bitter taste.
  • Add the carrots, then the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until translucent. If you see that the pot begins to dry, you can add a bit of water and cover it to keep cooking the veggies without burning them.
  • Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pot. Mix and add a bit more salt.
  • Cook partially covered on a low simmer for about 40 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and let it cool a little bit.
  • Process in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • You can prepare the eggplants as the sauce cooks…
PNorma-square
  • Cut them in slices or chunks and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil but do NOT add salt. This will prevent them from getting bitter
  • Bake them for about 30 minutes at 365ºF making sure to turn them around half way.
  • Add the sauce back into the pot and include the baked eggplants this time as well. Cook everything together for 15-20 minutes. You can add a bit of water if the sauce starts to get too thick but in any case, you will add some pasta water once you sauté with the pasta.
  • Boil your pasta for about 2-3 minutes LESS than what the package says it should be for “al dente”
  • Add some sauce (or all) to a pan and heat with an extra drizzle of evoo.
  • Drain your pasta but make sure to reserve some pasta water.
  • Sauté the pasta with the sauce for about 3-4 minutes and thin out as needed with the pasta water.
  • Turn the heat off and add as much grated cheese as you’d like.
Serve with some torn basil (optional) a little drizzle of evoo and some more cheese…because, why not?

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