This recipe for Pasta with Eggplant Sauce {Pasta Alla Norma} turns everyday pasta into something special. This delicious dish is made with the flesh of roasted eggplant, plum tomatoes, white wine and fresh basil.
This recipe for Pasta with Eggplant Sauce {Pasta Alla Norma} turns everyday pasta into something special. This delicious dish is made with the flesh of roasted eggplant, plum tomatoes, white wine and fresh basil.
In Italy, the word ‘Norma’ is used to describe something that is amazing. Let me tell you that this dish lives up to its name!
This dish is the perfect example of the simplicity of Italian cooking. You don’t need a lot of complicated ingredients to create a phenomenal dinner.
The sauce is made by removing the flesh from roasted eggplants and adding them to the tomato sauce where they cook down even more making a delectable, flavorful dish that I promise you’re going to love!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Roasting the halved eggplants with the flesh side down and only a little cooking spray, gives you perfectly cooked eggplant without it being saturated with oil.
- The smaller eggplants have less seeds which cuts the bitterness and allows you to skip the salting step most recipes call for.
- Cooking the garlic in just a touch of olive oil instead of tablespoons makes it a much healthier dish.
- Using whole plum tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes, insures a high-quality tomato. The best tomatoes are saved for canning whole tomatoes because they must look good.
- Under cooking the pasta and finishing it in the sauce and a little bit of the pasta water, allows the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.
- Adding the fresh shredded cheese at the end while it’s hot allows the cheese to melt into the pasta adding not only a creamy taste but a silky texture.
Here’s how to make it:
Start by cutting the eggplants in half and placing them flesh side down in a sheet pan. Then spray them with low fat cooking spray.
Roast in a hot oven for 30 – 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the skin starts to shrivel. 
Boil a pot of water for your pasta. The pasta should be about 2 minutes under cooked.
Carefully remove the flesh from the eggplant while it’s still hot by scooping it out with a spoon.
Repeat until all the flesh has been removed from the skins of the eggplants.
While the pasta cooks, start your sauce.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat in a deep frying pan. Add the garlic and cook until just browned.
Add the can of plum tomatoes.
Add the white wine and allow it to cook the alcohol off.
While the wine cooks down, crush tomatoes with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
Continue to crush the tomatoes until they are your desired texture.
Add the eggplant flesh.
Next grab a big handful of basil. I mean a good handful!
Chop or tear the basil and add it to the sauce.
Mix the basil in, lower the heat and allow to simmer until your pasta is 2 minutes under done.
Before draining the pasta, remove a cup of the cooking water and set aside.
Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and half the cooking water. Allow to simmer two – three minutes to finish cooking the pasta. 
Check to see if the pasta is done. Once its done, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Mix in the cheese and taste for seasoning. Season to taste and serve with extra grated cheese.
Cook’s Tips:
- For an added smokey taste, try broiling the eggplant instead of roasting them and allow the skin to char a little.
- When roasting the eggplant, line the pan with nonstick foil to make it easy to remove.
- When cooking the pasta, salt like you mean it – pasta water should taste of the ocean and it’s the only time you get to add flavor to the pasta.
- An easy way to cut the basil is stacking the leaves on top of each other, rolling them into a cigar shape and then slicing it into thin slices.
- To keep the pasta from sticking, make sure you use a big enough pan with lots of water. A good rule of thumb is to use 10x more water than pasta.
- If your tomatoes taste of too much acidity, add a pinch of sugar, taste and repeat as needed.
- Don’t have wine? Try vermouth – its great for cooking and doesn’t go bad once opened. Plus, you can save the wine for drinking!
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Pasta with Eggplant Sauce {Pasta Alla Norma}
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 4 small eggplants cut in half
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 14 oz can plum tomatoes
- 1 cup white wine
- fresh basil A big handful
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 400F.
Place the eggplant halves face down on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and roast for 30-35 minutes (you’ll know they’re done when the skin shrivels).
When ready, carefully scoop out the fleshy center with a spoon and run a knife through it to cut into strips.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a roaring boil, and cook the pasta until about 2 minutes under done.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the oil over medium high heat in a large, deep sauté pan. Add the garlic and cook until just brown.
- Add tomatoes followed by the wine. Raise the heat and allow the alcohol to cook off the wine. While the wine cooks down, crush the tomatoes with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
- Add the eggplant to the tomatoes and mix well to combine, lower the heat and allow to simmer while the pasta finishes cooking.
Before straining the pasta, with a ladle or strainer, use a mug to remove a cup of pasta water. Then drain the pasta and mix it into the sauce in the pan with half the cooking water. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes (adding more pasta water if it starts getting a bit dry). Check to see if the pasta is cooked. When done, add freshly grated cheese to the pasta and mix well to incorporate.
Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve with more grated cheese.
Theresa says
I’ve been thinking about this since I tested the recipe! It’s SO good and simple too!
Linda Johnston says
Like a lot of people, I would guess, I usually skip to the recipe for time’s sake. Not today and I’m sure glad I didn’t. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed every single word, every single tip, every single picture, every single bit of history – oh, hell, I loved this post!!! lol Thanks. I assure you I will read every single word from now on! Keep up the great work, girl!
Erren says
Wow Linda, I can’t tell you how much that means. I’ve been re-writing my whole site trying to come up with the best formula to give visitors good quality content. This was my first new post using the formula and you made my day! Thanks so much! 😁
Linda Johnston says
You are so welcomed! Keep doin’ what you’re doin’. I am telling every one I know about your site. I am preparing to go on facebook and broadcast the word! I usually don’t go on and on but I am making an exception today!
Erren says
Awesome! Thanks again! 😆
Joanne says
Made this for dinner last night -Fantastic! Everyone just loved it!