Pasta alla norma

Sicilian inspired pasta with aubergines in tomato sauce, basil and grated salted ricotta. A summer classic that always deliver. Use your favourite pasta shape.

Traditionally the aubergines should be deep fried while in this case I’ve simply stir fry them for a lighter result.

Serves: 4 // Prep time: 30 min

INGREDIENTS

• 400 gr of spaghetti

• 1 large aubergine

• 2 garlic cloves

• 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• 200 gr of cherry tomatoes

• 300 gr of tomato passata

• 1 tsp of dried oregano

• A few basil leaves

• About 100 gr of salted (hard) ricotta

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Peeling the aubergine is an optional step, I’ll leave that to you. I peel mine simply because I don’t like the texture too much when cooked and I use the peelings in other recipes sometimes (I slice them thinly and deep fry them until crispy).

Now chop the aubergine into cubes (the smaller, the quicker they cook) and if you are preparing this sauce ahead of time I recommend to season the aubergine cubes with salt and let them sit for a while in order to get rid of part of the bitter water. Again, an optional step.

Rub the crushed garlic cloves into a large pan and fry in olive oil until lightly golden. Add the aubergine (season them if not done it before) and cook on low-medium heat for about 15 minutes until soft. Now remove the garlic and add the oregano, the chopped tomatoes and the passata, add a few basil leaves a pinch of salt and an extra glug of oil and simmer for 15 more minutes until cooked and reduced into a sauce-like consistency.

Drop the spaghetti in salted boiling water and cook 1 minute less than the packet instruction to keep it ‘al dente’, with a little bite to them. Toss into the pan and keep cooking into the sauce while mixing to make sure the spaghetti are well coated. Check the seasoning and plate in large bowls with abundant sauce on top.

Top with grated hard ricotta and fresh basil leaves.