Pasta A La Norma Eggplant Tomato Sauce Recipes

SICILIAN SPAGHETTI ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Chop the aubergines into rough 2cm chunks. Place into a colander in the sink, sprinkle with sea salt to draw out the moisture, then set aside for around 20 minutes.
• Peel and finely slice the garlic, then pick the basil leaves and finely slice the stalks.
• Rinse the aubergine and pat dry with kitchen paper, then place into a large bowl with the oregano, chilli flakes, a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Toss together well.
• Drizzle a splash of olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the aubergines in a single layer, and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, or until softened and golden, stirring occasionally - you may need to do this in batches.
• Add another splash of olive oil, followed by the garlic, capers and basil stalks, then cook for a further 2 minutes, or until golden.
• Stir in the vinegar and the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick and glossy.
• Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until al dente, which means that it should be soft enough to eat, but still have a bit of bite and firmness to it.
• Drain the spaghetti, reserving a cupful of the cooking water, then add a good splash of the reserved water to the aubergine sauce.
• Finely grate in half the cheese and tear in most of the reserved basil leaves. Add a lug of extra virgin olive oil, then season to taste.
• Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss well, adding an extra splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed.
• Divide between bowls, grate over the remaining cheese and finish with the remaining basil scattered on top.

PASTA ALLA NORMA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan). Line a tray with baking / parchment paper.
• Toss eggplant with oil, salt and pepper. Spread on the tray and roast for 20 minutes.
• Flip, then roast for a further 5 minutes. Cool on tray (this helps the eggplant hold its shape when tossing).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Start cooking the pasta a couple of minutes after you start making the sauce (next section), until al dente or to your liking.
• Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 20 seconds until golden, then add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and cooked through.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add wine, if using. Let it simmer, scraping the base of the pan to deglaze, until the wine mostly evaporates.
• Add tomato passata. Now pour the water into the passata bottle, screw on the lid, shake, and pour that in too (waste nothing!)
• Add dried herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in eggplant, then add cooked and drained pasta. GENTLY toss until pasta is coated in the sauce (so the eggplant doesn't turn into complete mush!).
• Serve immediately, garnished with a good pinch of fresh basil and parmesan.

PASTA ALLA NORMA (TOMATO AND EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Heat up the olive oil, then stir in the eggplant, making sure it all gets coated in oil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten to fifteen minutes.
• Add the garlic and chili flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for a couple more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan, then crush them and break them up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, then add the sugar/honey. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is nice and soft.
• At the end of the cooking time, season well and stir in most of the basil.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the packet instructions (until al dente is best). Then drain, reserving some of the water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until well coated. Add enough of the reserved cooking water to make the dish nice and smooth and 'silky'.
• Rip the mozzarella into the pan and stir again briefly.
• Serve out into bowls immediately. Top with grated parmesan and the remaining fresh basil.

PASTA ALLA NORMA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Wash eggplants, cut off the ends, and cut into 1/3-inch slices. Layer eggplant slices in a large bowl, sprinkling coarse salt over each layer. Let sit for at least 2 hours to draw out any bitterness.
• In the meantime, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook garlic until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove garlic. Add peeled tomatoes and bring to a boil; cook until tomatoes start breaking down, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2/3 of the basil and simmer for another 3 minutes.
• Rinse eggplant slices under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Cut into small cubes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• Mix eggplant pieces into the tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Stir in ricotta and mix well. Season with salt, pepper, and remaining basil. Mix in drained spaghetti and cook until warm, about 3 minutes.

PASTA ALLA NORMA RECIPE

Steps:

• Slice and Salt the Eggplant. Trim the eggplant and partially peel them in a striped pattern (zebra pattern). Slice them into ½ inch thick rounds. Season the eggplant slices with kosher salt on both sides and lay them flat for a few minutes (up to 30 minutes if you have the time). Wipe the eggplant dry and remove excess salt using a paper towel.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Roast the eggplant. Brush the bottom of a large sheet pan (or two) with extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the eggplant slices in the pans in one single layer (eggplant slices should not overlap, each should be comfortably touching the bottom of the sheet pan). Roast in the heated oven until deeply golden brown, anywhere from 35 to 40 minutes, turning over mid-way through.
• Make the Sauce. Meanwhile, get going on the sauce. In a large deep pan, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, lower the heat and cook, tossing regularly, until the garlic gains a little bit of color. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), oregano and a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let simmer briefly.
• When ready, add the roasted eggplant to sauce. Let simmer while you cook the pasta.
• Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions (mine took about 11 minutes). Drain and combine the pasta with the eggplant and sauce (if needed, add a little bit of the pasta water and toss until the pasta is well-coated). Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Add chopped parsley and grated ricotta salata cheese to finish.

PASTA WITH EGGPLANT SAUCE {PASTA ALLA NORMA}

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 400F. Place the eggplant halves face down on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and roast for 30-35 minutes (you'll know they're done when the skin shrivels). When ready, carefully scoop out the fleshy center with a spoon and run a knife through it to cut into strips.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a roaring boil, and cook the pasta until about 2 minutes underdone.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep sauté pan. Add the garlic and cook until just brown.
• Add tomatoes followed by the wine. Raise the heat and allow the alcohol to cook off the wine. While the wine cooks down, crush the tomatoes with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
• Add the eggplant and basil to the tomatoes and mix well to combine, lower the heat and allow to simmer while the pasta finishes cooking.
• Before straining the pasta, with a ladle or strainer, use a mug to remove a cup of pasta water. Then drain the pasta and mix it into the sauce in the pan with half the cooking water. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes (adding more pasta water if it starts getting a bit dry). Check to see if the pasta is cooked. When done, add freshly grated cheese to the pasta and mix well to incorporate.
• Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve with more grated cheese.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425f. Dice eggplant into 3/4" thick cubes. Toss eggplant well with 1/2 cup or more of olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Spread eggplant out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet or wire rack. Roast the eggplant in middle of oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and fully cooked through.
• While eggplant is roasting start boiling pasta to al dente in salted (2 Tbsp kosher salt per gallon) water. Rough chop garlic and saute in 2 -3 Tbsp olive oil in large pan over medium heat until golden.
• Add 1 can of tomato paste to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Next, add the hand crushed plum tomatoes along with the 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. Stir it all together and bring sauce to a light simmer for 10-15 minutes of cooking.
• After sauce is cooked, remove about half of it from the pan and set aside. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta water if the sauce is too thick and add the pasta to the sauce. Toss well and let the sauce cook with the pasta for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggplant pieces and give it another stir to coat.
• Remove from heat and if the alla Norma is a little dry add back some of the reserved sauce. Tear the basil leaves and add to the pasta. Finally, grate (1/2 cup) a hefty amount of the Ricotta Salata on the pasta and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top. Bring to the table and serve with more Ricotta Salata, extra virgin olive oil, and the side of sauce for anyone who would like more. Enjoy!

PASTA ALLA NORMA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
• In a large bowl, toss the eggplant cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a half sheet sheet pan, and roast for 30 minutes flipping halfway through. Then brown under the broiler for 5 minutes. The eggplant cubes should be golden and crispy when they're done.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water to al dente (According to the package instructions).
• In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the onion until it's soft and translucent (3 minutes).
• Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the tomato sauce, then fill half of the empty can with water and add that to the sauce.
• Season with oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together, then allow the sauce to simmer for 5-7 minutes or until it thickens a little. It will splatter so it's better to cover with a lid.
• Strain the cooked pasta from the cooking water, and add it to the sauce, and gently stir in the roasted eggplant.
• Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

PASTA A LA NORMA (EGGPLANT & TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Using a heavy bottomed pot or large sautee pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once warm, add the onions and salt, let them cook over medium low heat until nicely browned. Stir often to prevent burning.
• Cut the eggplants into about 1/2 inch slices. Place them in a colander, sprinkling each piece with salt. Put a plate on top and some kind of weight to press the plate down (a tin of beans works well). Leave that to sit for about 15 minutes.
• While you wait, cut up your tomatoes.
• Back to the onions, add in the garlic now and let that cook for a few minutes. Then add in the diced tomatoes and salt.
• Pat your eggplant slices dry, dice them up and add to the sauce. Leave the sauce to simmer for about 20 minutes,
• While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta al dente. Drain, then add into the sauce along with some fresh chopped basil. Mix well but gently and serve with some fresh basil sprinkled on top.