Sicilian recipe: Pasta alla Norma
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Pasta alla Norma is a classic pasta dish, loved all over the world for its winning combination of simple flavours, with its ingredients truly embodying the spirit of Sicily and the cuisine of the island.
Give it a try with authentic, local ingredients during a stay at one of our luxury villas in Sicily, or simply bring a little bit of Sicily into your home with this fantastic recipe!
Ingredients (serves 6)
10oz (280g) penne
8oz (225g) aubergine
5oz (140g) pressed ricotta cheese (ricotta salata)
12oz (340g) tinned tomatoes
1 ¾ oz (50g) onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin, if possible)
5 basil leaves
1 clove of garlic, pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
First of all, chop up the aubergine into small, chunky cubes, place into a colander and then sprinkle lightly with salt. The salt draws out the excess water from the aubergine, resulting in sweeter, crunchier aubergine chunks after cooking.
Add the olive oil to a frying pan and sauté the chopped onion and pressed garlic, before adding in the drained aubergine, tomato pulp and a dash of salt and pepper. Leave to cook for 15-20 minutes.
As the sauce cooks, boil the penne in salted water, which will take roughly 8-10 minutes, and then toss the penne in with the sauce.
Add the basil leaves and grated ricotta to garnish and taste.
Image: Paoletta S, available under Creative Commons