Somehow it seemed fitting that Stanley Tucci‘s quick survey of Italian cooking on CNN concluded in Sicily, a rugged land with overlays of Greek, Arab, and even Norman traditions. Because so many sons and daughters of the island emigrated to the U.S., Sicilian cooking became the departure point for many Italian-American dishes. Admittedly, American Italians show a penchant for piling on the cheese. Order eggplant parm in the U.S., and the hearty dish will probably have more ricotta and mozzarella than eggplant.
Yet the original Sicilian cuisine is the model of a healthy Mediterranean diet. It emphasizes fresh vegetables—Sicily supplies the rest of Italy with winter produce—and goes light on the animal protein. Yes, many dishes are fried, but they’re fried in extra virgin olive oil and are usually well-drained.
Tucci enjoys a plate of pasta alla Norma when he visits Catania, the eastern Sicilian city in the shadow of rumbling Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest and most active volcano. Tradition holds that the dish was invented here, though, like all origin stories, its variants disagree on when and under what circumstances. We’ll follow Tucci’s lead on this one—it was created and named in honor of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma. The restaurant where Tucci dined was Me Cumpari Turiddu (Piazza Turi Ferro 36-38, Catania; +39 095 715 0142; mecumparituriddu.it).
CNN published a version of what purported to be the chef’s recipe, but given that the channel translated ricotta salata as ‶salted ricotta,″ we frankly don’t trust it. True, the aged and grated sheep’s milk ricotta salata is traditional in the dish, but anyone adding salted fresh ricotta cheese will be disappointed.
We’ve tried a couple of versions to come up with one we like. Two notes: Be sure to rinse all salt off the eggplant and pat the pieces very dry before cooking. Crushed tomatoes (we like the Cento brand) are our go-to choice for the sauce when we can’t get good fresh tomatoes.
PASTA ALLA NORMA
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 2 small eggplants
- salt
- olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes (or milled fresh tomatoes)
- 3 leaves basil
- 2 oz coarsely grated ricotta salata (aged ricotta) or pecorino romano
- 8 oz rigatoni
DIRECTIONS
Cut the eggplants crosswise into slices about 3/4-inch thick, leaving the skin on. Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander for a half hour to drain off any bitter juices. Pour olive oil 1/4-inch deep in large pan and heat until the surface ripples.
Rinse and dry eggplant and dry in batches until golden. Cut the fried slices into chunks. Reserve a cup of pieces for final assembly.
In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil you used for frying. Add the whole, peeled garlic clove and the non-reserved pieces of eggplant. Add crushed tomatoes and one leaf of fresh basil. Simmer until the sauce is dense and sweet, about 15 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain and add to the sauce, remove the garlic clove and mix well.
Divide into two bowls and top each with the reserved pieces of eggplant, a grating of cheese, and a leaf of fresh basil.