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INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)
for the SAUCE 1 eggplant 2 cloves of garlic 100g of tomato sauce extra virgin olive oil salted ricotta cheese basil salt and chili to taste for the PASTA 160g of rigatoni or penne 1,5 liters of water 1 tbs of coarse salt |
This delicious, yet simple recipe has its origins in Sicily. It appears that it was a well-known Sicilian playwright who gave the name "Norma" to the recipe, thus comparing the savory goodness of this richly seasoned dish to the famous Italian composer Bellini's masterpiece of the same name. It is a typical summer dish where only the freshest products of Sicilian countryside are used, namely tomatoes, aubergine and basil leaves. Everything is then enriched by the strong flavor of salted riccotta cheese, a matured sheep's milk riccotta cheese commonly used in southern Italy.
PREPARATION
SAUCE
Cut the aubergine into thin slices, app. 5-6mm. Spread the slices on a cutting board, sprinkle with rock salt and leave to rest for half an hour in order for eggplant to release excess water. Rinse the salt away and tap-dry well with a cloth. In a frying pan, heat up a generous amount of olive oil and, once the oil is hot enough, fry the aubergine slices until they turn golden brown. Once you take them off the pan, tap-dry for excess oil with kitchen paper.
Prepare the sauce apart by heating up some oil in a pan with finely minced garlic and chili. Add the tomato sauce, basil leaves roughly torn in pieces by hand and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for at least 15-20 minutes adding water if the sauce dries out. Once it reaches right texture, add the fried aubergines cut into thin stripes. Let all the flavours mix well for a few minutes before turning off heat.
PASTA
Once the sauce is ready, bring 1 litre of water to boil in a saucepan. Once boiling add a scant handful of coarse salt and throw in the pasta. Important: follow the cooking time instructions written on the package, as pasta has to be al dente!!
Once the rigatoni are done, drain the water well and toss them with the sauce in the pan on low heat for 1-2 minutes (just in time for the pasta to absorb the sauce well).
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of salted ricotta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
SAUCE
Cut the aubergine into thin slices, app. 5-6mm. Spread the slices on a cutting board, sprinkle with rock salt and leave to rest for half an hour in order for eggplant to release excess water. Rinse the salt away and tap-dry well with a cloth. In a frying pan, heat up a generous amount of olive oil and, once the oil is hot enough, fry the aubergine slices until they turn golden brown. Once you take them off the pan, tap-dry for excess oil with kitchen paper.
Prepare the sauce apart by heating up some oil in a pan with finely minced garlic and chili. Add the tomato sauce, basil leaves roughly torn in pieces by hand and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for at least 15-20 minutes adding water if the sauce dries out. Once it reaches right texture, add the fried aubergines cut into thin stripes. Let all the flavours mix well for a few minutes before turning off heat.
PASTA
Once the sauce is ready, bring 1 litre of water to boil in a saucepan. Once boiling add a scant handful of coarse salt and throw in the pasta. Important: follow the cooking time instructions written on the package, as pasta has to be al dente!!
Once the rigatoni are done, drain the water well and toss them with the sauce in the pan on low heat for 1-2 minutes (just in time for the pasta to absorb the sauce well).
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of salted ricotta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
