This dish uses eggplants, tomatoes and other flavourings and herbs available in Sicily and is blended with tubular pasta like Penne Rigate or even thin string Spaghetti is widely popular in Sicily. Here is her version of Pasta alla Norma.
Actually I showed this recipe in her blog and left it for my girls to recreate as my second daughter loves making pasta, both said they would do it!, I helped them to make pasta by just adding the seasonings so I will not be able to write the exact measurments as she always makes quite large quantities and loves keep eating them!!. I have written the exact replica what she has posted in her blog!. Please do check any more details in her blog.
The only thing I changed in this recipe was adding fresh Tomatoes pureed in a mixie which is what I have written in italics, The original recipe is in the Normal font.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Cup Penne Rigatte
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 Small Red Onion
1 or 2 cloves Garlic
1 medium Eggplants
1/4 cup Tomato Puree
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 and 1/2 cup Fresh Tomatoes pureed in a mixie
Fresh Basil leaves few
Salt as per taste
SEASONING:
A pinch of Dried thyme (I used 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme)
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp of Italian dried spices
METHOD:
Chop the onions, garlic, eggplant and keep aside. Take a wok heat olive oil then add garlic, Once it browns, remove them from the wok add chopped onions and stirfry then add the chopped eggplant (she says add salt to the chopped eggplants prior and keep aside for 15 minutes, this helps in removing the bitternes if any but as I had no time to feed my 3 M's I just chopped and fried in the wok) Once they get cooked add tomato pureed in a mixie (I tweaked a little bit I added nearly 300 to 400 gms of Tomato as I had loads of tomatoes which had to be used and I used the tomato puree as said in the reicpe) Yup, quite a lot of tomatoes I added.
Now cook until the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear, and is well cooked, add all the seasonings and cook for few more minutes now the sauce is ready.
Meanwhile when the sauce is getting ready cook pasta as per the packaged instructions till al dante (firm but not hard).
Now add the pasta to the sauce with ricotta cheese and garnish with basil leaves and serve.
My pasta has different look than hers as I added more tomatoes and the kids added lot of cheese it turned into white in colour!!
Anyways the kids just loved it!! as I am not a big fan of pasta, I just tried a little bit (may be I could have more if there was not more cheese in it!!).
Thanks to curry leaf for this lovely delectable pasta just enjoyed both her recipes.
Curry Leaf
Love the way you introduced me.Normally in T&C people tend to overlook dishes like rice or pasta.Very happy that you tried it out and Thanks. :)The plate sure looks inviting.
Jayasri
Hi Aparna, that was so quick!!, I am writing to thank you so late!!, you like pasta do you!, I am not a real fan of it, I like eating sphagetti though,My kids love it. thanks for the lovely comments dear,
Hi shanthi thank you very much
Thanks H chandana
Thanks Kitchen queen!!
kitchen queen
delicious and lovely pasta.
Hari Chandana
looks yummmm..
shanthi
Wonderful and interesting
Aparna
My daughter and I love pasta in any way so this is a winner in my book. YOur chocolate chip muffins look very good too.
Didn't do this month's DB? 🙂