Looking for a pasta recipe to impress? Try the signature Italian dish Pasta alla Norma! This impressive recipe hails from Sicily and like any classic Italian dish, it’s all about elegant simplicity. Sauteed eggplant tastes savory and meaty against a tangy tomato sauce, al dente pasta and salty ricotta salata cheese. The combination of flavors and textures is a true masterpiece! Simply called “la Norma” when you order it in Sicily, it’s a standout Italian pasta that will impress everyone.
What is Pasta all Norma?
Pasta alla Norma is an Italian pasta dish made of eggplant, tubular pasta, tomato sauce and ricotta salata cheese. It’s the specialty in the city of Catania in Sicily, but it’s served all over the island. Why Norma? (That’s what we said.) It’s said to be named after the opera Norma by composer Vincenzo Bellini. Apparently an Italian writer tasted the pasta and said it was “a real Norma,” an 1830’s way of saying it was a masterpiece. The name stuck and it’s been around to this day.
Ingredients in Pasta alla Norma
This Pasta alla Norma recipe is inspired by some stories set in Sicily we’ve been enjoying lately (the book From Scratch by Tembi Locke and of course the HBO show White Lotus!). So we set about to recreate this iconic dish to get a little taste of the country. We adapted our version from this authentic Sicilian recipe. Like any Italian pasta, the genius of La Norma is its simplicity. Here’s what you’ll need for pasta alla Norma:
Eggplant Olive oil Garlic Fresh parsley and basil Crushed canned tomatoes Oregano Salt and pepper Pasta Ricotta salata cheese Pecorino Romano cheese
Why you need ricotta salata
What’s ricotta salata cheese, and is it necessary for this recipe? Well, this special type of cheese is iconic for the dish.
Ricotta salata is a Sicilian version of ricotta that’s pressed and aged. It’s nothing like soft fresh ricotta, which is very mild and creamy. Ricotta salata is hard like Parmesan cheese and needs to be grated to add to a dish. It has a unique salty, briny flavor. What are substitutes? If you can’t find it, the Greek cheese Mizithra is a great substitute. Don’t use fresh ricotta, which is soft and creamy instead of salty and aged. Can’t find either? Use feta cheese for a similar flavor, or omit the ricotta salata and just use Pecorino Romano cheese.
We’ve tried both ricotta salata and Mizithra cheeses and they’re incredibly close in flavor and texture. This cheese is essential if you’re trying to recreate the Sicilian dish, but don’t let it dissuade you from making the recipe entirely. It’s nearly as tasty with simply Pecorino Romano as the garnish!
Cook the pasta to al dente
The most important thing to remember when making Pasta all Norma? Cook your pasta to al dente! This means “to the bite” in Italian: ideally when it’s tender with a small white speck inside when you bite into a piece. There’s nothing worse than soft, rubbery pasta. Here are a few tips for the perfect al dente pasta:
Boil the pasta a few minutes less than indicated on the package instructions. Often package instructions make for overcooked pasta. Start taste testing early. Start taste testing and stop cooking when the pasta is just tender but you can still see a small white speck inside.
And that’s it! Head to the recipe below to try Pasta alla Norma: and let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you: especially if you are Sicilian or have sampled this dish in Sicily.
More pasta recipes
Want more tasty Italian pasta recipes and pasta sauces? Here are a few more ideas:
Go for Pasta Pomodoro, Sun Dried Tomato Pasta or Tagliatelle Pasta Try Easy Manicotti, Vegetarian Lasagna with Ricotta or Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Opt for simple Roman Cacio e Pepe Grab Pasta with Vodka Sauce or Arrabiata Sauce
This Pasta alla Norma recipe is…
Vegetarian. No reviews
