Pasta Alla Norma

Hailing from the port city of Catania in Sicily, Pasta alla Norma is a delectable Italian pasta dish featuring buttery eggplant cloaked in a fragrant tomato sauce and topped with ricotta salata cheese. Not only pleasing to vegetarians, this savory plate can transform even meat-lovers into fans!

Common recipes will instruct you to fry or sauté your eggplant - but you may also roast!

For millennia, eggplant has been an essential ingredient in traditional medicine. In the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda, healers employed white eggplants to combat diabetes and used its roots for asthmatic relief.

With its abundance of vitamins A and C, eggplant works to fight oxidative cell damage. Additionally, the polyphenols present in this vegetable may support your cells in efficiently metabolizing sugar if you struggle with diabetes. Therefore, adding eggplants into your diet could be a beneficial choice for bettering both physical and metabolic health!

Adding salt to your eggplant before cooking is an optional step, but highly recommended! The salt enhances the flavor and helps with improving its juicy texture. If you can spare a moment or two, sprinkle the eggplant slices on both sides with kosher salt then allow them to sit for approximately 30 minutes. Afterward, use a paper towel to wipe away any excess salt that remains prior to cooking - this ensures maximum juiciness and taste!

Servings: 5 servings - Prep Time: 15 minutes - Cook Time: 40 minutes

• 2 lb eggplants
• Papa Vince Trapani Sea Salt
• Papa Vince Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 5 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 lb of diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 ½ tsp dry oregano
• ¾ lb Papa Vince Durum Busiate Pasta
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup grated Ricotta salata ( can replace with Parmesan )

HOW TO MAKE

(1) Prepare the Eggplant for Delightful Seasoning. Cut off the edges of the eggplant and peel strips with a zebra-like pattern onto its skin. Slice them into thin, ½ inch thick rounds, then season both sides generously with Trapani Sea Salt. Set aside and let sit for up to thirty minutes before wiping away any extra moisture or residual salt using a paper towel - now your eggplants are ready for cooking!

(2) Heat the oven - 425 degrees F.

(3) Roast your eggplants. Start by brushing the bottom of a large sheet pan (or two) with extra virgin olive oil. Place the slices in one single layer on the pans and ensure they are not overlapping - each should be comfortably touching the bottom. Slide into the preheated oven and cook until deeply golden brown, approximately 35 to 40 minutes; remember to turn over mid-way through roasting.


(4) Create the Sauce. Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large and deep pan until it shimmers. Add fresh garlic and red pepper flakes while reducing the heat to let them gain color. Pour the fresh tomatoes (with their juices), oregano, salt, and black pepper into the mixture before bringing it to a quick boil then lowering the flame for brief simmering.

(5) Once the eggplant is roasted, add it to the bubbling sauce and let simmer.

(6) Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions. - Remember: add the salt after the water is boiling, not before! Learn more about: How to cook Pasta like an Italian


(7) Drain and combine the pasta with the eggplant and sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.

(8) Serve and Enjoy. Add chopped parsley, grated ricotta salata cheese and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to finish.

HOW TO SERVE

This vegetarian pasta dish is a complete meal in itself, so you don't need to serve too many side dishes. However, if you wish to add something extra to the dinner table I recommend starting off with either a light and flavourful white bean salad or an easy-to-make lemony arugula salad. Both are excellent accompaniments!

ABOUT ANCIENT GRAIN PASTAS

• GLUTEN, IN ITS ANCIENT FORM - Ancient Grains remain untouched by modern intensive breeding techniques. This pasta is crafted from the same grain that was used before the mass production revolution
• IT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE CARDBOARD - Al Dente texture for sauce to cling to. You’ll never miss pasta again!
• GOOD SOURCE OF FIBER & PROTEINS - Ancient grains are a complete source of naturally occurring proteins & prebiotic fiber (soluble & insoluble). Supports anti-inflammatory diets.
• CLEAN INGREDIENTS - Ancient Grain Durum Wheat | PH balanced spring water | does not contain eggs
• WHOLE GRAIN PASTA - stone ground grain that contains the original bran, endosperm & wheatgerm of the grain.
• SUPPORTS ANTI INFLAMMATORY DIETS - Easier to digest - less bloating - higher in nutrients when compare to refined or enriched pastas.

ABOUT EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

• FIRST COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL - We literally press the juice of the olives into the bottle
• LOW ACIDITY (FFA < .26) - the lower the acidity, the higher the quality
• CLEAN TASTE: with hints of tomatoes, artichokes & peppery finish!
• DELICIOUS PEPPERY FINISH - Yes, the peppery kick at the back of your throat is your assurance that it's loaded with polyphenols.
• HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS - Vitamin E (17% DV) - ONLY PREMIUM QUALITY EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL CONTAINS VITAMINS

Background

At the top of our priorities is HEALTH. That's why every single product we offer has been created following stringent standards: no pesticides, no insecticides, no herbicides, no glyphosate usage in farming practices, no enhancers/additives/preservatives of any kind; no additionally artificial or natural flavors and colors; non enriched, no bleaching.

References:

Health Benefits of Eggplant - MDWeb - Written by Stephanie Watson -
Medically Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, RD, LD, MPH on August 08, 2021. Date Accessed: 02/07/2023.
Link: click here