Authentic Pasta alla Norma Recipe Catania, Italy

Fried eggplants on top of a mixture of tomato sauce, fresh basil and pasta, traditionally macaroni — ziti, rigatoni, penne, or busiata — sprinkled with grated ricotta salata — that, in short, is penne alla Norma, a simple to prepare, yet posh enough to serve to any guest, dish, native to Sicily. The eggplant, preferably melanzana seta, a variety indigenous to Sicily, is cut into cubes or slices and sprinkled with salt, then left to drain for half an hour to lessen its bitterness. Meanwhile, tomato sauce is prepared from tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic. The eggplant is fried, and the tomato sauce is mixed together with previously cooked pasta and basil. The tomato sauce with pasta is ladled onto plates, topped with fried eggplant and is sprinkled with grated ricotta salata, a hard sheep’s milk cheese, although other kinds of cheese like parmesan, mozzarella, or caciocavallo are also used.