The fancy Italian name for this dish is “Pasta alla Norma,” and it involves mixing eggplant and pasta with tomatoes and ricotta cheese. The result is a deliciously creamy and fresh pasta dish that tastes excellent with parmesian and basil. (Note: I use creamy ricotta, while the original Italian recipe calls for ricotta salata, a harder version of the cheese.)
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion, chopped coarsely
- pinch of hot chili flakes
- 8 oz (~250 g) pasta (I like spirals)
- 1.5 oz (50 g) ricotta
- large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil for frying
- grated parmesian
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Trim the ends of the eggplant and slice lengthwise in half. Cut small slices, about 1/4″ thick, and set aside.
- Coat a baking tray in non-stick spray, lay eggplant flat on tray surface, and spray the eggplant again with non-stick spray. Alternatively you can toss the eggplant with a few T of olive oil. Bake eggplant 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are soft and slightly crispy.
- Heat up a large pot of water for the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onions and garlic in 1 T olive oil until translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Add tomatoes (with juices), and simmer for 15 minutes, until sauce is reduced. When done, remove from heat and stir in the basil.
- While the mixture is cooking, start to cook the pasta. (You should try to time this so that the pasta and sauce are done at approximately the same time.)
- Drain the cooked pasta, then toss it with the tomato mixture, eggplant, and ricotta. Serve with grated parmesian.
Nadine's Nibbles 