24 August, 2020
Eggplant Norma
This is a traditional Sicilian pasta dish that was named after Bellini’s opera Norma. It’s made with eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and basil. It’s so simple and soooooo satisfying.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 eggplants (depending on size)
- 1 pound dried pasta of choice, I’m using penne rigate
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups salted pasta water (or more as needed to thin the sauce)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves or parsley (+ more for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat the broiler. Cut eggplant in half and place face down on baking sheet. Broil for 30 – 45 minutes until charred (depends on the size of the eggplants, my 3 small-ish eggplants took 40 minutes). Allow to cool slightly, just cool enough to handle, and scoop out the flesh. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for about 2 minutes less than the box instructs, so we can finish the pasta in the sauce.
To make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pan with high sides (I’m using a wok style pan). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook an additional minute.
Using a ladle, add about 1 1/2 cups of pasta water to the pan, stir and bring to a simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for a few minutes while the pasta finishes cooking.
Stir the eggplant into tomato paste mixture, add more pasta water if needed and stir until well combined. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add pasta directly from the pot and coat with sauce. Add the cheese and fold in the basil.
