Family Memories and Pasta alla Norma
I must be honest, eggplants always make me think about my nonna. I’m almost sure we use it in every way possible. This one is one of the most common Italian recipes, Pasta alla Norma, but a bit different, as my family loves to add sausage to it.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
- 4 cups rigatoni pasta (400g)
- 3 or 4 medium sausages, depending on how rich you prefer it
- 1 large eggplant (cubed)
- 1 large glass bottle of tomato sauce
- 2 cloves smashed garlic
- 1 tbsp EVO oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Time needed: 35 minutes + time to cook the tomato sauce (there’s a recipe on my profile, but I understand making the tomato sauce a day earlier might be too much work, so you could just cook it the way you prefer).
Cooking the Pasta and Sauce
While you let them sit for 10 mins, start cooking the pasta regularly, so boil the water, then add salt and cook the pasta as per the box instructions. I suggest cooking the pasta while you are cooking the eggplant and sausage sauce; think of it as a “side quest”. If it is ready before the sauce, just drain it and rinse it under cold water, so you stop it from cooking.
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After the ten minutes, preheat a large pan on medium-high heat. Rinse the eggplants to remove all the extra salt. Squeeze them and add them to the pan. Stir them for just one minute, so you can dry all the extra water, then add the crumbled sausage meat, the smashed garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper to taste.
We want to stay here for 5 to 10 minutes, until the eggplants are crispy outside (helped by the sausage fat to have a fried effect without adding any oil) but soft inside; meanwhile, the sausage must look golden.
When you reach this consistency, add the tomato sauce: start with half the bottle, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. We don’t want it to be watery, and we still can add more tomato sauce later.
Finishing the Dish
Once everything looks well blended, the work is done: mix the pasta in the pan, check the consistency, see if you need more tomato sauce, and feel free to adjust it as you prefer.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese only at the end, directly in the dish, so you will be able to taste every single flavor, and enjoy!
If you have more time or if you prefer to cook it earlier in the day or even the day earlier, you can add more tomato sauce, one cup of cubed mozzarella, place it in a casserole for 35 mins in a fan-assisted oven at 350°F, and you have a perfect Italian pasta al forno!
Eggplant and Meat Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- Cube the eggplant, cover with salt, and place in a colander with a heavy object (like a pot or heavy cups) on top for 10 minutes to release water.
- Boil water, add salt, and cook the pasta according to box instructions.
- If the pasta is ready before the sauce, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Preheat a large pan on medium-high heat. Rinse the eggplant to remove extra salt, squeeze it dry, and add to the pan. Stir for 1 minute to dry any extra water.
- Add the crumbled sausage meat, smashed garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the eggplant is crispy on the outside and soft inside, and the sausage is golden.
- Add half the bottle of tomato sauce, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix the pasta into the pan. Check the consistency and add more tomato sauce if desired.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese added directly to each dish.
- Optional baked version: Mix in more tomato sauce and 1 cup of cubed mozzarella. Place in a casserole dish and bake for 35 minutes in a fan-assisted oven at 350°F.