tagAlt.Tagliatelle a6565lla Norma

Tagliatelle alla Norma: Sicilian Eggplant, Tomato, and Salted Ricotta Pasta

Experience an iconic Sicilian classic—eggplant-rich Tagliatelle alla Norma—easily recreated in your own kitchen with our expert guide.
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    • ( Scored 5 on 1 reviews )

tania:

Pasta alla norma is one of my favorite dishes ever! I had to use parmesan instead of ricotta and it was great, but I do wish salty ricotta was availab...

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tagAlt.Tagliatelle a6565lla Norma

Handmade tagliatelle—crafted with fresh eggs—form the ideal canvas for a broad spectrum of Italian sauces and represent a fundamental skill in authentic Italian home cooking.

If you’ve ever wandered through the sun-drenched streets of Sicily, you might have marveled at this legendary pasta dish. Though it can be found in many pasta shapes, it always honors time-honored traditions and a select palette of ingredients.

Legend surrounds this dish: it’s believed that on December 26, 1831, as Vincenzo Bellini’s opera ‘Norma’ premiered at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, a Sicilian chef—struck by inspiration—created what would become one of Italy’s most cherished recipes.

A bite of Pasta alla Norma is pure joy: Sicilian eggplants, known locally as "melanzane," are the star. When roasted and paired with a robust tomato sauce and finished with a snowfall of salty ricotta, it’s a tribute to Southern Italian flavors that’s hard to resist.

Explore these flavors in your kitchen and master this iconic dish with our chef-led live cooking experience.

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Ingredients

for 4 servings

Fresh Handmade Pasta Dough ingredients

  • All-purpose flour 200 grams
  • Semola flour 100 grams
  • Egg 3
  • Salt 1 pinch

Norma Pasta Sauce Ingredients

  • Garlic Cloves 2
  • Onion 1
  • Eggplant 2
  • All-purpose flour as needed
  • Tomato Pulp 350 grams
  • Basil (Leaves) 10
  • Aged Salty Ricotta as needed
  • Extra-virgin olive oil as needed

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Preparation

for 4 servings

Step

1

Of 3

Prepare the Pasta Dough

In a mixing bowl, combine 00 flour and semolina flour with eggs. Work the mixture until you achieve a smooth, supple dough. Once the dough is cohesive, transfer it to a floured surface and knead energetically using the heel of your hand. Continue until it’s elastic and firm to the touch. Shape into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap to lock in moisture, and let it rest at room temperature for a minimum of 15 minutes. This resting period relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll.

After resting, unwrap the dough and begin shaping it into a rough rectangle, roughly as wide as your pasta roller. Start rolling it out with a well-floured pasta machine, dusting both the rollers and the dough with semolina to avoid sticking. Gradually adjust the thickness setting, passing the dough through several times until it reaches your preferred thinness.

Once at the desired thickness, slice the dough into manageable sections. Attach the tagliatelle cutter to your pasta machine and feed each section through, forming long ribbons. Coil each into loose nests and set them aside on a wooden board generously sprinkled with semolina flour to prevent sticking while they dry slightly.

Step

2

Of 3

Crafting the Eggplant and Tomato Sauce

Cut the eggplants into cubes, dredge them lightly with flour, and arrange them on a baking tray. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and roast at 350°F (175°C) until the pieces are golden and slightly crisp.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat more EVOO and add finely sliced onion, pressed garlic, and half of your fresh basil leaves. Sauté until everything turns fragrant and lightly browned.

Stir in the tomato passata (tomato pulp) and let the sauce bubble gently, reducing on a low simmer for at least 30 minutes. This slow cooking develops a rich, concentrated flavor characteristic of true Sicilian sauces.

Step

3

Of 3

Bringing It All Together

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your freshly made tagliatelle for just 2 minutes—they should be perfectly al dente. Transfer the pasta directly into the simmering sauce.

Toss everything together thoroughly so the noodles are evenly coated. Add the roasted eggplant cubes and the remaining basil, combining gently to keep the eggplant intact.

Serve immediately, topping each plate with a generous shower of grated salted ricotta (or aged Parmesan if ricotta salata is unavailable) and finish with a drizzle of premium EVOO for a luscious finish.

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Filippo Bartolotta

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Reviews

tania Sunday 6th of June 2021

A real Sicilian Classic!

Pasta alla norma is one of my favorite dishes ever! I had to use parmesan instead of ricotta and it was great, but I do wish salty ricotta was available here in the States!

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