Italian (Sicilian)
Stanley Tucci's Pasta alla Norma
A Sicilian classic of pasta in tomato sauce with fried eggplant, fresh basil and salty ricotta salata, in the style Stanley Tucci champions in Searching for Italy.
50 min
Total time
4
Servings
20 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
intermediatedinnervegetarian
Source: Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy / Taste
Ingredients
4 servings
- 450 g rigatoni or penne
- 2 medium (about 700 g) eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 800 g canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
- 1 large handful (about 15 g) fresh basil leaves, torn
- 100 g ricotta salata, grated, plus more to finish
- to taste kosher salt
Make it your way
Instructions
- Step 1.Toss the cubed eggplant with a little salt and let it drain in a colander for about 20 minutes, then pat dry.
- Step 2.Heat about 1/4 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the eggplant in batches until golden and tender, about 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
- Step 3.In a separate large pan, warm the 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat and gently cook the sliced garlic until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
- Step 4.Add the hand-crushed tomatoes, season with salt, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened.
- Step 5.Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente, reserving a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Step 6.Stir most of the fried eggplant into the tomato sauce along with half the torn basil.
- Step 7.Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss over the heat, loosening with a splash of pasta water until everything is glossy and coated.
- Step 8.Plate and top with the remaining eggplant, the rest of the basil and a generous shower of grated ricotta salata.
Tried this? (0)
No one has shared a photo yet. Make it and be the first.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.