For ➏6 medium-sized eggplants, about 500 g, peeled if wanted
3 cloves garlic, chopped
500 g sun-ripened plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled & chopped*
6-8 basil leaves, shredded***
450 g spaghetti or rigatoni
60 g grated pecorino romano, salted ricotta or Parmigiano
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil (or corn oil) for frying**
1 small onion (optional)
1 tbs of capers (optrional)
½ ts hot pepper flakes (optional)
Peel and slice the eggplant into 1 cm slices, salt the slices, and let them sit in a colander for about 1 h. (Dice them if wanted). Rinse them, pat them dry (put on some weight to remove moisture), and fry them a few pieces at a time in hot oil, turning them so both sides brown, and setting them to drain on absorbent paper.**
Set water to boil, and while it's heating heat 16 tbs oil in a pot, sauté the garlic (and onion) briefly. Stir in the blanched, peeled tomatoes*. Season with salt and abundant pepper or ½ ts hot pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the sauce figuring 15-20 m in all. 5 m before it's done, add the shredded basil***.
Keep an eye on the pasta pot while preparing the sauce, and as soon as the water boils salt it and cook the spaghetti.
(Meanwhile, pour oil into a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until popped open and crisp, 1–2 m. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.)
When the spaghetti are al dente, drain them and season them with the tomato sauce.
If you are bringing bowls of pasta to the table, divvy the spaghetti into four bowls and divide the eggplant slices among them. If you are instead serving a big bowl of pasta, season the pasta with the tomato sauce and them carefully mix the slices of eggplant into it.
In either case, sprinkle the pasta with much of the cheese, and serve it with the remaining cheese on the side.
Set water to boil, and while it's heating heat 16 tbs oil in a pot, sauté the garlic (and onion) briefly. Stir in the blanched, peeled tomatoes*. Season with salt and abundant pepper or ½ ts hot pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the sauce figuring 15-20 m in all. 5 m before it's done, add the shredded basil***.
Keep an eye on the pasta pot while preparing the sauce, and as soon as the water boils salt it and cook the spaghetti.
(Meanwhile, pour oil into a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until popped open and crisp, 1–2 m. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.)
When the spaghetti are al dente, drain them and season them with the tomato sauce.
If you are bringing bowls of pasta to the table, divvy the spaghetti into four bowls and divide the eggplant slices among them. If you are instead serving a big bowl of pasta, season the pasta with the tomato sauce and them carefully mix the slices of eggplant into it.
In either case, sprinkle the pasta with much of the cheese, and serve it with the remaining cheese on the side.
* Use different types of tomatoes, sweet flesh tomatoes and tangy Roma tomatoes. Add ½ ts hot pepper flakes if wanted.
** To avoid the oil, bake or grill the eggplants.
*** Add a few stalks of thyme (optional).
'Pasta alla Norma' is a classic dish of Sicily. The lore of its origin goes back to a 19th-century opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, who was born in Catania, Sicily. As his fame grew, especially with 'Norma', a chef from Catania named his creative pasta dish after the opera.
