Origin of pasta alla norma
Authentic Pasta alla Norma is the iconic dish of the Sicilian city of Catania and it contains the best of Mediterranean diet and tradition. Legend says Nino Martoglio (composer, scriptwriter and poet from Catania) invented the name “Pasta alla Norma” after tasting this delicious dish. He called this pasta like “Norma”, a famous opera by composer Vincenzo Bellini also from Catania, for her goodness.
The main ingredients of Pasta alla Norma are fried eggplants, fresh tomato, basil, and grated salted ricotta which gives it an irresistible flavor. We recommend you to use rigatoni, maccheroni or penne rigate and extra virgin oil, that must never be missing in your homes. It best represents Sicilian culinary tradition for colors and smells typical of the island.
Even the World Pasta alla Norma day is celebrating on 23rd of September, so why not take advantage and taste it?
Secret of authentic Pasta alla Norma
The fundamental secret for a good result of this recipe is to use fresh ingredients and obviously, the quality of the pasta is also important. However if the pasta is not cooked to perfection, the final result could be compromised irreparably. The second secret lies in eggplants: before frying them, they need to be sprinkled with coarse salt and crush them with a weight for 30 minutes. After standing time the slices should be rinsed and dried with paper and fried with extra virgin oil.
Another secret of authentic Pasta alla Norma is tomato. This precious ingredient of the Mediterranean diet must be absolutely fresh, cooked and after switched in tomato press. Last tip is to place the pasta on a plate and sprinkle with some salted ricotta cheese. Following this instructions and tips you will get a delicious Pasta alla Norma, the preparation is simple, however it requires some time.
If you want to prepare Pasta alla Norma at home with fresh ingredients you will find step-by-step recipe.
At least one if you don’t have a lot of time to cook and you want to enjoy the true flavour of sicilian cooking you find all ingredients in Pasta alla Norma Box!
