Spaghetti alla Norma is a delicious vegetarian pasta dish that is simple, uses few ingredients, and is very economical yet still rich in flavour. The dish originates from Sicily, the Italian island that sits just off the toe of Italy’s boot.
I was lucky enough to spend 4 weeks in Sicily a few years ago. I was blown away by how delicious and fresh the food was. Sicilians know how to cook! It’s a cuisine that often uses only a couple of ingredients yet somehow creates the most delicious dishes. I guess the quality of the ingredients is what sets them apart. A visit to the fresh food market is a daily occurrence for most Sicilians.
This version of Spaghetti alla Norma is not very traditional. I have baked the eggplant instead of frying it. The reason for this is to reduce the amount of oil that goes into the dish. When you fry eggplant, it sucks up a huge amount of oil. However, by baking at a high temperature, you can reduce the amount of oil you need by at least half.
Additionally, Spaghetti alla Norma would normally be served with ricotta salata (an aged and salted ricotta) crumbled on top. In this recipe, I have used parmesan instead, simply because I could not find any ricotta salata. Pecorino could also be a good substitute. But if you can find ricotta salata, please use that.
If you love eggplant, my eggplant parmigiana and Melanzane Ripiene are another Italian classic worth making — layered, rich, and proper comfort food.
When I serve this dish, I like to put it on a big platter in the middle of the table. With extra chilli flakes, parmesan/ricotta salata, a simple rocket and parmesan salad, and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce on the side. Let everyone dig in and serve themselves. It’s messier but feels more communal!
A nice bottle of Etna Rosso (Red wine made from grapes grown in the volcanic soil of Mount Etna) would go very nicely indeed with this dish!
Mangiamo!
Spaghetti Alla Norma (Eggplant Spaghetti)
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Baking tray
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant large
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Spanish Onion (red onion)
- 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 700 grams Passata
- 1 tsp Pepper
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 6 leaves Basil
- 1 tsp Table Salt
- 250 grams Dried Spaghetti
- 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese to serve
Instructions
- Chop eggplant into cubes, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sea salt and leave in a colander for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a fry pan over low/ medium heat and fry onion for about 10 minutes till translucent but not browned.
- Add garlic and fry for a further two minutes.
- Add passata, 1 tsp salt, pepper, sugar, chilli flakes and basil and stir to combine.
- Drop the heat to a low simmer.
- Pre heat a fan forced oven to 220 degrees
- Once the eggplant has been salted for half an hour rinse under running water and then pat dry.
- Pour dried eggplant into a bowl and coat with two tbsp olive oil.
- Place eggplant on baking paper on baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
- Remove eggplant from the oven and add to the frying pan with the sauce and stir to incorporate.
- Add spaghetti to the saucepan with boiling water and cook as per packet instructions (minus 1 minute).
- When your spaghetti is cooked use a pair of tongs and transfer the spaghetti from the pot to the frying pan with the sauce and stir so spaghetti is completely coated with the sauce. Then add one ladle of the pasta water to the spaghetti and sauce to loosen it up.
- Turn the heat off and leave the spaghetti to sit for a minute before serving.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan, cracked black pepper and optional extra chilli flakes.
Video
Nutrition
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Amazing looks delicious 😋