Pasta Alla Norma

According to tradition, this pasta will only turn out, if you are listening to the beautiful Bellini aria
Norma. A glass of wine from Catania his birthplace is in the mix too. The opera starts out deep in the forest within a sacred grove, the Druids gather around an alter and pray to their god for strength against the Roman armies. The high priest, Oroveso, leads them in their prayer. After they have said their prayers, they leave the forest. Moments later, Pollione, the Roman, arrives with his centurion, Flavious, telling him that he no longer loves Oroveso's daughter, Norma (even though she broke her vow of chastity and gave birth to two children). Pollione has fallen in love with one of the virgin temple priestesses, Adalgisa. When the bronze temple ....

2 eggplants about 1 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 pinch of red pepper flake1 small onion minced
4 large tomatoes peeled and diced
ground pepper
1 pound of rigatoni
1/2 cup basil torn
1/2 cup grated ricotta salata

Traditionally the eggplant is seasoned with salt, garlic, and left to dry in the sun. Will as we do not have the pleasure of the warm Mediterranean sun; slice the ends of the eggplant and remove the skin. Cut the eggplant the size of your rigatoni and place in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and leave for a couple of hours. Then rinse with cold water and drain for another hour.

Heat a large frying pan with one tablespoon of olive oil and cook eggplant for about 10 minutes until golden brown. While frying the eggplant, place a large pot of boiling water over high heat. Salt the water until it tastes like sea water. When the water comes to a rolling boil; you will cook the rigatoni for about 10 minutes.


Now remove the eggplant from the frying pan and drain on paper towels. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and add the onion. Cook until the onion has some color. Now add the garlic and pepper flakes and saute for a minute or two. Now add the tomatoes and decrease heat and simmer.

Now pour the drained cooked pasta into a large serving bowl and top with tomato sauce, eggplant, basil and grated ricotta salata.

Please note that you can use any kind of grated cheese. Smoke mozzarella, Parmigiano Regiano and Pecorino Romano are all good. I added smoked mozzarella & capers to mine. Although these are nontraditional.

Now turn up the music and find out what happens to Norma.