Pasta Alla Norma
"I was in Italy this summer and I came back with “several” Italian cooking magazines.
This recipe is from “Sale & Pepe”(salt and pepper).
It was very simple and fast. I really liked it.
I did use SUPER FRESH organic tomatoes and eggplant and I firmly believe that makes a huge difference."
photo by MsPia
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 12 ounces penne or 12 ounces another short pasta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 lb fresh tomato
- 1⁄2 cup white wine
- 1⁄2 cup basil, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups oil (for frying)
- 1 lb eggplant, thinly sliced (2 mm)
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
directions
- Layer eggplant on a colander with some coarse salt and put a plate on top with some weight to get ride of the eggplant bitterness. Let it sit for about 1 hour.
- Wash tomatoes, make a small cut on the bottom and throw them in boiling water for an instant. Then peel them, cut them in fourth, get rid of the seed and juice and chopped them.
- In a pan, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and sauté briefly. Then add tomatoes, basil, wine salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Rinse the eggplant and get rid of all the salt. Dry with a paper towel. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry eggplant in batches until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Meanwhile, boil water with some salt to cook pasta al dente, following manufacture’s instructions.
- Drain pasta and mix with sauce. Pour on a big serving dish. Sprinkle fry eggplant on top and crumble goat cheese. EAT!
- Note: The original recipe calls for “Ricotta Salata” instead of goat cheese, that it is not the same as the regular ricotta we can get a the store; it is a fabulous cheese from Sicily, from the province of Messina. It is not impossible to find in the US, but it is quite pricey.
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Reviews
-
I was able to use very fresh eggplant in this one so I was able to get away without the salt treatment in Step 1. My sister's tomato plants also produced tomatoes quite late this year, so I was also able to use good tomatoes despite the time of year. Rather than fry in 2 cups of oil, I was able to saute the eggplants by coating the pan with spray, then spraying more spray on top (I used Pam olive-oil spray. That way I was able to cut way down on the fat content. With the reduced amount of oil, it made for a nice, light pasta dish, and I loved the goat cheese crumbled in it. Quite a treat!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
MsPia
Louisville
I'm lucky to have had two amazing grandmothers with a passion for cooking.My Nona was from the north of Italy and Lolo was from Spain. Lolo used to make pickle fish. You would think that is a kids worst nightmare, but it was fabulous. I would kill for that recipe.My mother was also a wonderful cook. I grew up eating the most amazing food; her lasagna and Bolognese sauce are out of this world.
I am originally from Argentina and living in Colorado for the past 25 years. As you can imagine, I love to cook, eat and entertain. I read cookbooks like novels.
There is nothing that I enjoy more than traveling. I love the challenge of a new culture and a foreign language. Of course all my traveling is culinary oriented. Eventually I would love to move to Italy. Italians, in my opinion, have the perfect life style; Hard work in the morning, good food for lunch, nice siesta and out for a "giro" (go for a round) in the afternoons to visit with your friends over a cup of coffee.
My daughter is a great baker; she has a natural talent for it. We can make the exact same recipe and hers ALWAYS tastes much better.
My favorite products are seasonal, organic and fresh; I stay away from cans and pre-mixed stuff. I'm a proud member of the Slow Food movement. www.slowfood.com
