You had me at pasta! If you’re looking for a vegetarian pasta dish that will satisfying your cravings, then you’ll have to give my Eggplant Pasta recipe a try! This Eggplant Pasta, also referred to as Pasta alla Norma or Pasta con le Melanzane, is a popular Sicilian dish made using eggplants, tomatoes, basil, Ricotta Salata and a cylinder-shaped pasta. It’s a great way to showcase and utilize an abundance of eggplants and basil, both prevalent this time of year!
Pasta alla Norma is traditionally made using Ricotta Salata, a salted, pressed and aged cheese with a firm and crumbly texture. However, my spin on this classic dish replaces Ricotta Salata with Pecorino Romano cheese. Ricotta Salata can be difficult to source, making Pecorino Romano, an accessible and appropriate substitute. Both varieties utilize sheep’s milk, are firm in texture and salty and a tad funky in flavour. To add a little more richness and creaminess to this dish, I love adding a few dollops of soft Ricotta cheese.
Eggplants, tomatoes, basil leaves, Pecorino Romano and Ricotta combine to create a fresh, fragrant, flavourful, savoury and satisfying spoonful! The meaty eggplants are cut into small cubes and fried in rich olive oil until soft and caramelized. Combined with diced tomatoes, fragrant oregano, garlic and basil, they form the base of this pasta sauce. Toss in your favourite cylinder or tube-shaped pasta, such as Penne, Rigatoni or Sicilian Casarecce and top it with Pecorino Romano and traditional Ricotta cheese.
If you are looking to eat more vegetables, then this pasta is for you! Enjoy it for lunch or dinner during a busy week or serve it at your next dinner party or social gathering and get ready to impress all your guests. So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
For more fun and exciting pasta recipes, try my Orecchiette with Sausage and Rapini, Spicy Penne Pasta, Pasta Genovese and Pasta al Limone recipes!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 37 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (approx. 9 cups)
8 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 796mL can diced tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 lb cylinder or tube-shaped pasta, such as Penne, Rigatoni or Casarecce
1/2 cup pasta water
1/3 cup basil leaves, roughy chopped or torn
3/4 cup Ricotta
1/2 cup coarsely grated Pecorino Romano
Additional basil leaves, as garnish
Instructions:
To a large saucepan set over medium heat, add 3 Tbsp olive oil and the crushed red pepper flakes. Once hot, add 1/2 the eggplant and 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 10 minutes, or until the eggplant has softened and is slightly caramelized. Remove the eggplant from the saucepan, transfer it to a large bowl and set aside. Then, repeat the process with 3 Tbsp olive oil, the remaining eggplant and 1/4 tsp salt.
To the same saucepan, add the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.
Toss in the diced tomatoes, oregano and eggplant and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring throughout.
While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in accordance with package instructions until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Pour the reserved pasta water into the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and for the flavours to meld.
Then, drain the pasta and toss it into the eggplant sauce. Turn off the heat and top it with the chopped or torn basil leaves and mix until combined.
Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and top with a few dollops of Ricotta cheese and a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves and serve and enjoy!
