Pasta Alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta recipe, and except for the glossy purple eggplant, this easy 30 minute meatless meal is made entirely from pantry staples.
Of course, in summer, so there’s nothing stopping you from making this with fresh ripe tomatoes, but during the rest of the year I use a good quality canned. I love the combination of pasta and eggplant. You hardly ever see this dish on menus, but it’s fantastic. Especially when you cook the eggplant the way I do…without any oil! I saute it in a hot dry skillet, which intensifies the flavor and keeps the eggplant firm.
This is a 30-minute meal that doesn’t taste like one. It’s also a great vegetarian option if you are looking for meatless meals to please meat lovers…eggplants are a little bit like mushrooms in that they have a ‘meaty’ texture and earthy flavor that gives a heartiness to meatless dishes. I highly recommend it.
Since most of us usually have pasta in our cupboards, it pays to have a handful of easy recipes to turn to on busy nights. Here at tvfgi I’ve got lots of other quick pasta ideas for you, here are a few of my faves ~
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Pasta Alla Norma
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb fusilli, corkscrew pasta
- 1 large eggplant
- olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 15 oz can of good quality chopped tomatoes, I like to use fire roasted
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, or water
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
garnish
- freshly grated Italian hard cheese, Parmesan, Romano, etc
- lots of fresh parsley, or basil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in well salted water according to the package instructions.
- Wash and slice the eggplant into small cubes. Heat a skillet over medium heat until it is hot and add the eggplant, dry, to the pan. I like to saute eggplant this way because it intensifies the flavor and the eggplant doesn't get soggy from absorbing too much oil. Keep the eggplant moving while you saute so it doesn't stick to the pan. When it has taken on some color is and beginning to soften, remove it to a plate.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and saute the onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic for several minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, and vinegar to the pan, along with the eggplant and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Season the sauce with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
- Toss with the just cooked pasta and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Serve hot, topped with lots of freshly grated cheese and a generous sprinkling of parsley.
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this is my all time favourite pasta dish, i order it whenever i see it on a menu and make it often at home…but i am going to try your dry fry trick! yum yum schlurrrrp
🙂
so gorgeous!… I love aubergine, so this would be a wonderful dish for me… I also love fusili and you don’t se it very much these days… do pasta shapes go out of fashion?
Another blogger friend just posted a slighty different take on this recipe – and both of yours look amazing! I am taking it as a sign I should make it!
Yay, Pasta Norma is coming out from retirement!
I love Pasta alla Norma! Great tip on sautéing the eggplant too!
I am so glad you posted this, Sue! I have some baby eggplants (Little Fingers variety) that I didn’t know what to do with – too small for almost anything else. They will be perfect in a dish like this. I like you no oil saute method too.
A delightful and healthy meal. Blessings, Catherine
What a great dish Sue, love how you treated the eggplant here.
The dry saute method is really great, Cheri, I use it almost all the time now.
I miss pasta – we never eat it anymore but it is sooooo good. This is a lovely dish, especially love the interesting way to saute the eggplant. The fresh herbs are perfect! Have a great weekend Sue and by the way, love, love, love your new photo 🙂 Linked to your amazing popsicles in my post yesterday!
YUM..
I will love this..I made one years ago..never looked this delicious.
The weather has been cooler the last 3 days..we had pastat last night w/ a bolognese instead of fresh tomatoes etc..
This is on my list.Thanks!
I’m guessing a lot of readers will never have had this dish, I’m glad you’re familiar with it. And as for the Bolognese replacing fresh tomatoes…that’s a sure sign of a change of season!
Beautiful, colorful – delicious!