Pasta alla Norma is not just eggplant pasta: in Catania it is a point of civic pride, and the name has a story behind it.

The dish is said to be named after Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma, Bellini being Catania’s most famous son; the story goes that a writer took one bite and declared it “a Norma,” meaning a masterpiece on the level of the opera. Whatever the truth of the legend, the dish deserves the compliment: cubes of eggplant are salted, fried until golden, then tossed with a simple garlicky tomato sauce and finished with salty ricotta salata and fresh basil. It sits nicely next to our caponata siciliana (recipe on the site) as proof that Sicilian cooking gets an enormous amount of flavor out of eggplant and very little else.

The technique that actually matters here is salting the eggplant properly before frying, which pulls out excess moisture and bitterness and keeps the finished pasta from turning watery. Do not skip that step, everything else about this dish is genuinely simple.

Pasta alla Norma Recipe

What you need

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt, for drawing out moisture, plus more to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, for frying, plus 2 tbsp extra
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 can (28 oz) whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
12 oz rigatoni or other short pasta
3/4 cup ricotta salata, grated or crumbled
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving

Cook along

Instructions

Toss the cubed eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt in a colander set over a bowl or the sink. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then pat very dry with paper towels.
Heat the 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown and tender, about 6-8 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels.
In a separate large pot or deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Add the fried eggplant to the tomato sauce and gently stir to combine, being careful not to break up the eggplant too much.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with a splash of pasta water, tossing to coat everything evenly. Adjust consistency with more pasta water if needed.
Divide among bowls and top generously with ricotta salata and torn basil.