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A skillet filled with rigatoni pasta alla norma, meatballs, and garnished with fresh basil and grated cheese on a woven mat.
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5 from 6 votes

Pasta alla Norma

This hearty, delicious pasta alla norma recipe is straight from Sicily with love. It pairs tender rigatoni pasta with eggplant, meatballs and a mouthwatering tomato sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course, Meals
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta
Servings: 6
Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Ingredients

For the Eggplant:

For the Meatballs:

  • 1 Pound Italian sausage spicy, shaped into small meatballs

For the Sauce:

  • 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes canned
  • 1/4 Cup olive oil
  • 2 Sprigs fresh basil chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest fresh
  • 1 Teaspoon oregano dried
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1/4 Teaspoon dried chili flake s or crushed red pepper flake, optional

For the Pasta:

  • 1 Pound rigatoni cooked according to package directions
  • 1 Tablespoon capers
  • ¼ Cup basil chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons parsley chopped
  • 1/4 Cup ricotta salata freshly shredded, or pecorino or parmesan

Instructions

For the Eggplant:

  • Place the cubed eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
  • Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.
  • Rinse the eggplant well, then pat dry. Spread evenly on the prepared pan, then drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through.

For the Meatballs:

  • Use a large teaspoon to roll the sausage into balls. Place in a large oven safe pan and bake for 12 minutes.

For the Sauce:

  • Combine all the ingredients together in a sauce pan.
  • Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

For the Pasta:

  • Cook the pasta according to the package direction, then drain well.
  • Add the eggplant and meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add the pasta and toss gently to combine.
  • Add the capers, basil, parsley and sprinkle with the cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes

Choose good quality ingredients: Good quality ingredients make so much difference to the result, so use good quality canned tomatoes, Italian sausage, fresh lemon juice and zest, and perfectly ripe eggplant.
Al dente pasta: Cook the pasta al dente for the best result. This means when it's firm rather than too soft.
Thin the sauce: Keep some of the water you cooked the rigatoni pasta in. You can add a little pasta water to the sauce if it gets too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 770kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 2355mg | Potassium: 1168mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 641IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 5mg

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