Pasta alla Norma
Vincenzo's Plate · ♥ 2.7K likes · 94.3K views · 16 min video
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Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 2–3 cup sunflower oil
- 500 g penne rigate
- 2 can peeled tomatoes
- 1 whole eggplant
- pecorino romano
- 2–3 cloves garlic
- fresh basil
- extra virgin olive oil
Trim the eggplant, cut into slices about 1 cm thick, stack and cut into strips.
Shallow fry the strips in hot sunflower oil a few minutes until dark brown; pieces with skin take longer. Drain on a plate with kitchen paper.
- plain flour
Optionally toss a batch in plain flour before frying; it cooks faster and comes out firmer and crunchier, for a topping.
Gently crush the peeled tomatoes by hand or with a crusher to release the juice.
Crushing tomatoes and garlic
- water
Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, crush in the garlic, add a splash of water so it does not burn, and cook gently about 30 seconds until it starts to darken; wait 10 seconds more.
Add the tomatoes and cook gently at least 20 minutes (half an hour is better), stirring now and then and crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is dry, not watery.
- salt
- pepper
Season with salt (sparingly, as the cheese is salty) and pepper. Stir in the fried eggplant until it absorbs the sauce and the sauce is dry again.
- 1 tbsp sea salt
Boil the penne rigate in water with a generous tablespoon of sea salt for 10 minutes for al dente (11 for softer). Save some pasta water.
- pasta water
Rewarm the sauce on low heat, add the pasta and toss, adding pasta water to bind the dry sauce until smooth. Turn off the heat, tear more basil over and mix.
Tossing with pasta water
Plate, top with the crunchy fried eggplant, coarsely grated pecorino romano and torn basil.