Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)

Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian eggplant pasta dish with a creamy tomato sauce, tender eggplants, dried oregano, and fresh basil.

The recipe is easy to make in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients.

Pasta alla Norma represents the essence of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Pasta alla Norma is an iconic Italian pasta dish with rich and satisfying tomato sauce and tender eggplant.

It is one of our readers’ favorite pasta recipes with penne arrabbiata, spaghetti aglio olio, broccoli pasta, pasta pomodoro, and roasted red pepper pasta.

Pasta alla Norma became famous in Catania, Sicily, around the 1830s when a local chef made it in honor of famous local composer Vincenzo Bellini and its opera called Norma.

In Italy, pasta alla norma is so beloved that they instituted a national “pasta alla norma day” on the 23rd of September to celebrate it.

Traditional pasta alla Norma uses deep-fried eggplant, ripe Sicilian tomatoes, and ricotta salata, a hard and salty white cheese.

While we love the traditional recipe, we make ours with roasted eggplants and canned whole peeled tomatoes – ideally the San Marzano variety.

These small changes allow us to make an everyday dish that is healthier and easier to put together but still Sicilian in spirit and flavor.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Pasta

We like to use paccheri or rigatoni.

Alternatively, you can use ziti, rotini, penne, spaghetti, linguine, and bucatini.

Eggplant (Aubergine)

Use globe eggplants or Italian eggplants.

They are the big, dark-purple ones that you can find in most grocery stores.

Tomatoes

We use canned whole peeled tomatoes.

Try to find the San Marzano variety, which is imported from Italy.

The traditional recipe calls for ripe Sicilian tomatoes, but those are hard to find outside of Sicily and are highly seasonal.

So, we recommend sticking to canned tomatoes for the best results.

Olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is best.

Onion and Garlic

To add flavor to the tomato sauce. We recommend using fresh onion and fresh garlic cloves.

Herbs and spices

We like to add dried oregano to the tomato sauce.

Then, towards the end, we add fresh basil leaves.

We also like adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat

If you don’t have dried oregano, leave it out or replace it with dried or fresh thyme.

Salt and Pepper

We use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. You’ll also need salt to season the pasta water.

Ricotta Salata

Ricotta salata is a salty hard Sicilian ricotta cheese.

It’s traditionally grated on top of pasta alla norma.

You can substitute crumbled feta, grated pecorino Romano, or parmesan cheese for ricotta salata.

If you are vegan, you can keep the cheese out. This eggplant pasta recipe is delicious without it.

1. Roast the eggplants

Preheat the oven or air-fryer to 400°F or 200°C. Optionally, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and dry the eggplants, remove the stem, and cut them into 2/3-inch cubes (1.5 cm).

Season eggplant with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Toss and arrange in a single layer on the baking tray.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or air-fry for 20 minutes until fork tender.

2. Make the pasta sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add chopped onion, and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add pressed garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté for 1 minute.

Add canned whole peeled tomatoes, rinse the can with a cup of water, and add it to the pan.

Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir often and crush the tomatoes with a fork as they simmer.

Add the roasted eggplant and fresh basil leaves to the tomato sauce.

Stir and cook for a few more minutes until thick and well combined. Taste and adjust for salt.

3. Add the pasta

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water.

Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.

Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce, add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, turn the heat on again, and toss the pasta for about a minute until completely coated in the sauce.

Add more pasta water if required.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with fresh basil and a drizzle of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Add grated ricotta salata (per tradition) or crumbled feta cheese.

Also, you can serve it with a small piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

For a side dish, eggplant pasta goes well with a light salad such as a tomato salad, artichoke salad, arugula salad, fennel and orange salad, zucchini salad, or a simple side salad.

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

Warm up the pasta leftovers in the microwave for a short minute or on a pan with a splash of water.

We don’t recommend making this recipe for meal prep, and we don’t recommend freezing it.

Similar Recipes

EGGPLANT RECIPES: Eggplant parmigiana, eggplant caponata, stuffed eggplant, air-fried eggplant, sautéed eggplant, breaded eggplant, eggplant pizza, and eggplant risotto.

ITALIAN PASTA RECIPES: Lentil bolognese, mushroom ragu, fregola pasta, paccheri pasta, creamy tomato pasta, casarecce pasta, mushroom Alfredo, lemon pasta, cherry tomato pasta, and lemon ricotta pasta.

For more ideas, check out our compilation of 40+ easy pasta recipes.

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