Recently I’ve been getting into Sicilian cuisine (thanks White Lotus S2) and one of the most iconic dishes from the island is the delicious Pasta alla Norma. This rustic pasta dish uses eggplant as a main ingredient – so if you are looking up ways to use your gardens plethora of aubergine then this recipe is perfect for you.

Due to the rising popularity in Sicilian recipes, I figured I should post another famous Sicilian dish. In fact, pasta alla norma might be the most famous Sicilian recipe around, and for good reason; It’s delicious!
Pasta alla Norma is made with a simple marinara sauce, fried eggplant, and ricotta salata cheese. Now, you might be able to tell from the photo above that I did not use ricotta salata, but rather the fresh variety. This was a personal choice on my part but I will show all the original ingredients down below.
What Is The History Of Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is a quintessential Sicilian dish, named in homage to Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “Norma.” Legend has it that in the mid-19th century, a Sicilian chef created this dish to celebrate the opera’s success. This hearty pasta dish features tubular pasta, typically rigatoni or penne, topped with a rich tomato sauce infused with garlic, basil, and often a hint of chili flakes.
What truly distinguishes Pasta alla Norma is its crowning glory: fried eggplant slices and a generous sprinkling of grated ricotta salata cheese. This combination of flavors and textures reflects the bounty of Sicilian cuisine, making Pasta alla Norma a cherished culinary tradition both in Italy and around the world.
What You’ll Need
How To Make A Traditional Sicilian Pasta Alla Norma

Making a traditional pasta alla norma is not the easiest pasta recipe out there (hello spaghetti alla carrettiera) but it does not require any difficult ingredients or culinary skills. I have a few personal changes I make, but these are optional, and the traditional ingredients are listed below.
Ingredients
- 500 grams Pasta – Rigatoni is one of the more popular pasta choices when making a pasta alla norma, but you can really use any pasta you want. I recommend short ones though, as noodles can get a little unwieldy with the fried eggplant slices.
- 1-2 Eggplant(s) – Cut into semi-circles. If your eggplants are small you can cut them into whole circles.
- 800 grams Whole Peeled Tomatoes – San Marzano would be the go-to for most higher end restaurants, but as the sauce has so many other ingredients you don’t need to splurge on an expensive can.
- 1 bulb Garlic – Thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Basil – Chiffonade. I used Italian flat leaf parsley roughly ripped, but basil is the more traditional ingredient.
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes – Optional. Even though this is an optional ingredient, chili flakes are quite common in a pasta alla norma. I substitute minced Calabrian peppers instead.
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 3 tbsp Neutral Oil – For frying the eggplant.
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt – As needed
- Black Pepper – To taste.
- Ricotta Salata – To taste. I used fresh ricotta as a substitute, but ricotta salata is the traditional cheese used in this dish.
Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven add the olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and chili and gently fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.

Add in the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper and stir everything around. Bring up the heat until the pot is boiling, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes. Use the masher to pulverize the tomatoes and create a thick, homogenous marinara sauce. Add in the basil (or parsley) in the last 5 minutes of simmering.
You can start frying the eggplant while you are making the sauce to save time.

Toss your eggplant slices in the flour until they are well coated. Heat up the neutral oil in a pan.

Fry the eggplant slices for a couple minutes per side in the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan so this step will have to be done in batches.
Once you have made the sauce and eggplants you can boil the pasta at any time. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and when rolling add your dry pasta. Cook until al dente, then strain and add directly to the tomato sauce. Mix everything together.
How To Serve Pasta alla Norma

Serve pasta alla norma by scooping the sauced pasta onto a plate or bowl and top with the fried eggplant pieces. Grate over the ricotta salata and sprinkle some basil chiffonade to garnish.
If you did any substitutions to the dish feel free to adjust the serving appearance as you see fit.
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Pasta alla Norma
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
Ingredients
- 500 grams Pasta Rigatoni is one of the more popular pasta choices but you can use any pasta you want.
- 1-2 Eggplant(s) Cut into semi-circles
- 800 grams Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 1 bulb Garlic Thinly sliced
- 1 bunch Basil Chiffonade. I used Italian flat leaf parsley roughly ripped but basil is the more traditional ingredient.
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes Optional. Even though this is an optional ingredient chili flakes are quite common in a pasta alla norma. I substitute minced Calabrian peppers instead.
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 3 tbsp Neutral Oil For frying the eggplant.
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt As needed
- Black Pepper To taste.
- Ricotta Salata To taste. I used fresh ricotta as a substitute but ricotta salata is the traditional cheese used in this dish.
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven add the olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and chili and gently fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add in the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper and stir everything around. Bring up the heat until the pot is boiling, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes. Use the masher to pulverize the tomatoes and create a thick, homogenous marinara sauce. Add in the basil (or parsley) in the last 5 minutes of simmering.You can start frying the eggplant while you are making the sauce to save time.
- Toss your eggplant slices in the flour until they are well coated. Heat up the neutral oil in a pan.
- Fry the eggplant slices for a couple minutes per side in the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan so this step will have to be done in batches.Once you have made the sauce and eggplants you can boil the pasta at any time. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and when rolling add your dry pasta. Cook until al dente, then strain and add directly to the tomato sauce. Mix everything together.
- Serve pasta alla norma by scooping the sauced pasta onto a plate or bowl and top with the fried eggplant pieces. Grate over the ricotta salata and sprinkle some basil chiffonade to garnish.
