
Pasta alla Norma: the original recipe
The Pasta alla Norma is one of the most famous Sicilian dishes in the world. Any palate, even the most demanding, will appreciate its goodness.
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the eggplants. Transfer into a colander and cover with coarse salt. Place an upturned plate on the top. Put something weighty above the plate (e.g. the pot filled of water that you will use to cook pasta). Let eggplants sit and release juices for an hour.
- Wash carefully and lay on clean dishtowels. It is a boring procedure, but it is essential to guarantee a sweet taste and a dried frying.
- Once eggplants are completely dry, fry until golden and set aside.
- Boil tomatoes for a couple of minutes, peel and scrape out the seeds. Put into a pan and sauté with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and one garlic clove. Cook over low heat until softened. Sift with a sieve.
- Heat the sauce gently until thickened. Add basil, sugar and season with salt.
- Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with tomato sauce and eggplants. Top with grated ricotta cheese and garnish with some basil leaves.