Pasta Alla Norma

Pasta Alla Norma 

Pasta Alla Norma 

This is a Sicilian classic, it's a beautiful summer pasta with roasted eggplant (aubergine) and ricotta cheese. This one happens to be one of my personal favorites, when it comes to vegetarian pasta dishes! As with any pasta dish, the key to a good Pasta Alla Norma is fresh ingredients 😀... here is my recipe 👇🏼

Recipe :

1) blanch 8-10 tomatoes and peel the skin and chop them
2)boil the pasta with some salt and oil in the water for 8-10 mins or as instructed on the box ( I used fusilli) , strain the water and save a little pasta water for later
3) dry roast a handful of sunflower seeds with a little salt and keep aside
4) In a thick bottomed pan fry cubes of aubergine in olive oil,  the aubergine will soak up all the oil at first but as it roasts it will slowly release most of the oil.

Aubergine roasting

5) now place the roasted aubergine onto a paper towel...and add 3 chopped garlic pods into the same pan and fry
6) once the garlic gets a light golden hue add the chopped tomatoes and fry
7) add salt,  pepper to taste and a little paprika for a more vibrant red colour and saute
8) you can use any fresh herb,  basil is best ( I had dill, so used that) , add the pasta water saved earlier to this sauce.

9)now chop ricotta cheese into cubes and add it to the sauce, saute slowly without breaking them
10) lastly add the roasted eggplant and the pasta and mix everything well. 

11) while plating the pasta,  add generous amount of parmigiano reggiano and sprinkle roasted sunflower seeds!

Ready to serve