Spaghetti Alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta dish made with tomato sauce and eggplant. It is a fantastic main meal that tastes and looks like meat but is really vegetarian. Norma pasta: Pasta with eggplant. In my opinion, eggplant performs well as a main course vegetable since it is both meaty and simple to make. It is a flavor sponge with a smooth, fine texture, a reasonable price for the majority of the year, and great adaptability. Sicilian eggplant slices are often fried in a lot of oil in this spaghetti, as they are in many other classic Italian recipes. Roasting the eggplant makes it healthier, and adding the cubes to spaghetti sauce helps them keep their shape. 
I like to cook Pasta alla Norma using tomato passata rather than crushed tomatoes since it adds more sauce to the meal. I like how the roasted eggplant and noodles are both adhered to by the spaghetti sauce. Currently, eggplant is roasting. Cooking the eggplant until it is caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside, but holds its shape when mixed with the tomato pasta sauce, is the key to making superb spaghetti alla Norma. To give the eggplant a beautiful color on the exterior and create a crust so the cubes keep their shape, all you need is salt, pepper, and olive oil, along with 25 minutes in a hot 450°F oven. For a quick side dish or to add to salads (like this Eggplant Lentil Salad, which is very amazing! ), I chop up eggplant before roasting it. A little smaller pasta size, in my opinion, is best for distribution and eating. What ingredients make up the spaghetti sauce with eggplant? Below is a list of the remaining components for pasta alla Norma. A sharp flavor is added to the meal by basil, an important element. Any size of pasta will work here, with the exception of risoni, alphabet, and other novelty varieties. Rigatoni, penne, ziti, and casarecce are examples of short pastas. Rigatoni, penne, ziti, and casarecce are examples of lengthy pastas (spaghetti, fettuccine, bucatini). Long spaghetti and the creamy pasta sauce I used in this dish are a combination I particularly like. Occasionally referred to as tomato puree, tomato passata This strained tomato puree is thick and silky, making it an excellent component for rapid pasta sauces. 
It is also possible to use regular crushed or diced canned tomatoes, but they must boil for about 20 minutes before they start to transform into a thick spaghetti sauce. Most shops now carry passata, which costs about the same as canned tomatoes and may be found in the pasta section. You may learn more about tomato passata here. It's optional to add a drop of white wine to the sauce to improve its flavor. This is a great method for fast-making sauces! Any white wine that isn't too sweet or woody will do. I use pinot gris and sauvignon blanc because I like these wines. Basic pasta sauces must include garlic and onions (also known as escallots) in order to have flavor; otherwise, the sauce would be very bland. Make this fast sauce taste better by adding oregano or an Italian herb blend. Red pepper flakes sometimes referred to as chili flakes, provide heat. It's all up to you; Without basil, pasta alla Norma isn't pasta Alla Norma, according to my brother. However, I've made it numerous times using fresh thyme since eggplant goes well with it. It will still taste great if you increase the number of dry herbs in the spaghetti sauce. The dish is essentially Pasta Alla Norma! 
Thyme is utilized in place of basil in this instance. And it's still quite tasty! Ingredients
- 800g / 1.6 lb eggplant , cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes (2 medium/large ones)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Pasta sauce
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 small onion, very finely chopped (or 2 shallots)
- 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 700g / 24 oz tomato passata (aka tomato puree, Note 2)
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs or oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional (for a hint of heat)
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 300g / 10 oz spaghetti or other pasta, long or short (macaroni, rigatoni, penne, ziti, fettucini, bucatini)
For Serving
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped (Note 3)
- Parmesan cheese, grated (or ricotta Salata if you have it – more traditional)
Instructions
- Set the oven's temperature to 240 Celsius/450 Fahrenheit/220 Celsius fan. Put parchment paper on a baking pan.
- Combine eggplant, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Spread out and bake for 20 minutes on a baking sheet.
- After rotating, cook for a further five minutes. Allow to cool on the tray (this helps the eggplant hold its shape when tossing).
- preparing pasta
- Bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta to al dente or to your satisfaction after a few minutes of making the sauce (see next part).
- SAUCE: Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked, after simmering the garlic for 20 seconds or until it becomes golden.
- Add the wine and raise the heat to medium-high, if using. Allow it to boil while deglazing the pan and allowing the wine to almost completely evaporate.
- tomato sauce, please. Nothing is wasted! Fill the passata bottle with water, cap it, and shake it before adding the ingredients.
- To taste, include dried herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cooking time: 5 minutes, periodically stirring.
- After the cooked, drained pasta is added, add the eggplant. Don't overcook the eggplant, please! The spaghetti should be well coated with sauce after being tossed.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil before serving.