Baked Pasta alla Norma, Just Like Grandma Makes It

Why is it called Pasta alla Norma?

The recipe takes its name from Vincenzo Bellini's famous opera "Norma" and is a true ode to Sicily, thanks to the use of typical ingredients such as aubergines, tomatoes, and salted ricotta.

In this baked reinterpretation, Pasta alla Norma transforms into a hearty, comforting, and warming dish. I'm offering three variations: a classic one, one with less tomato, and one that's reminiscent of parmigiana but with the structure of a lasagna. Let's find out how to make them together!

Baked Pasta alla Norma

• 600 g of aubergines
• 500 g of chopped tomatoes
• 400 g of penne rigate or rigatoni
• 200 g of salted ricotta
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• fresh basil to taste
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• peanut oil for frying to taste
• sale qb
• pepper to taste
• Cut the aubergines into slices about 1 cm thick, salt them lightly and place them in a colander with a weight on top for about 30 minutes to eliminate the vegetable water.
• Rinse and dry the eggplants thoroughly. Fry them in plenty of seed oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
• Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté them in extra virgin olive oil. Add the tomato, salt, and pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the fresh basil at the end.
• Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it al dente and season it with the tomato sauce.
• In a baking dish, arrange a layer of seasoned pasta, a layer of fried eggplant, and a sprinkling of grated ricotta salata. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of pasta and ricotta salata.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 20-25 minutes, until golden and crispy. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Pasta alla Norma with cherry tomatoes

I like Pasta alla Norma either with plenty of sauce, or with virtually no sauce at all, just a few cherry tomatoes topping it. I'm not sold on anything in between. So, while I suggested the succulent recipe earlier, I now invite you to try this one with cherry tomatoes. Sicilians may not appreciate it, but believe me, it's worth it all the same!

• 600 g of aubergines
• 400 g of short pasta
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 200 g of salted ricotta
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• fresh basil to taste
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• sale qb
• pepper to taste
• Process the aubergines as in the previous recipe and fry them.
• Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté them in extra virgin olive oil. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the fresh basil at the end.

Parmigiana or lasagna alla Norma? Here's the recipe.

Speaking of Pasta alla Norma, I thought I'd mention this recipe because it's a very special lasagna that has all the flavor of Pasta alla Norma. You must try it if you're having dinner guests, because it's guaranteed to be a hit.

• 800 g of aubergines
• 500 g of tomato puree
• 400 g of dried lasagna pasta
• 300 g of salted ricotta
• 250 g of mozzarella
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• fresh basil to taste
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• sale qb
• pepper to taste
• Prepare the aubergines as in the previous recipes and also the sauce with plenty of chopped tomatoes.
• Cut the mozzarella and let it drain for a while.
• Then assemble the lasagna: grease a baking tray with sauce and start with a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of sauce, a layer of fried aubergines, a sprinkling of salted ricotta and a few slices of mozzarella.
• Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of lasagna, sauce, and mozzarella.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and the mozzarella is melted. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

How to cook aubergines to perfection: here are some helpful tips.

After reading these three recipes, I'm left wondering: are you sure you know how to fry eggplant perfectly? Here are some tips.

• Choose the right eggplants: opt for dark, firm eggplants with shiny skin. Long, thin eggplants tend to have fewer seeds and are less bitter than round ones.
• Eliminate the bitter taste: After slicing the eggplant, sprinkle them with coarse salt and let them rest in a colander with a weight on top for about 30 minutes. This process helps remove the water and bitterness.
• Rinse and dry them: Rinse the aubergines thoroughly under running water to remove the salt and dry them with paper towels.
• Fry to perfection: heat the seed oil in a large skillet. Fry the eggplants a few at a time to avoid lowering the oil temperature too much. Turn them once until golden brown and drain on paper towels.