Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a delicious Sicilian pasta dish with eggplant, marinara and basil. This amazing recipe features roasted eggplant, not fried!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
We’re going back to Sicily! Pasta alla Norma is a delicious Sicilian pasta dish with eggplant, marinara and basil. I’m excited to introduce you to this dish because it is a completely satisfying vegetarian dinner. If you enjoy eggplant Parmesan, you’re going to love pasta alla Norma. I’m craving a bowl as I type.
Most pasta alla Norma recipes are made with fried eggplant, but this recipe features roasted eggplant. Eggplant really absorbs oil like a sponge, so this lightens up the dish. Another plus? Roasting eggplant is easier and less messy.
I further lightened this classic recipe by using more eggplant and less pasta, so this dish won’t put you to sleep. It’s nice and saucy, just the way I like it.
I don’t speak Italian, so I first assumed that “norma” meant eggplant. Not the case! Norma is capitalized because she’s a lady. Or an opera, depending on how you look at it.
Here’s the backstory: Pasta alla Norma comes from Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Catania is the hometown of Vincenzo Bellini, an Italian opera composer who lived in the early 1800s. One of Bellini’s most famous operas, Norma, is named after its lead character.
Folklore has it that playwright Nino Martoglio, after his first bite of this pasta dish, exclaimed, “Chista è ‘na vera Norma!” (“This is a true Norma!”) That’s quite a compliment.
Watch How to Make Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma Ingredients
Pasta alla Norma is proof that simple ingredients can yield spectacular results. This classic Italian dish is especially appropriate in late summer or early fall when eggplant is in season. It’s so hearty that I’ll be enjoying it through the winter.
Marinara Sauce
You really can’t beat my Super Simple Marinara Sauce, which comes together with minimal fuss. It’ll be ready around the time the eggplant is done roasting, and yields exactly the amount of sauce you’ll need for this dish (two cups). If you’d like to simplify the recipe, you could use a good store-bought marinara. My favorite is Rao’s.
Eggplant
Look for two medium eggplants with firm, shiny skin and no bruises. They should feel heavy for their size. We won’t bother salting the eggplant before roasting—it’s truly unnecessary with modern eggplants.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Any quality extra-virgin olive oil will do. Use an Italian variety if you want to be as authentic as possible.
Pasta
Use rigatoni, ziti, spaghetti, or any pasta along those lines. You’ll see rigatoni in these photos, but I’ve also really enjoyed spaghetti.
Fresh Basil
Basil livens up this saucy meal. We’ll use a pretty generous amount, about 1/2 cup or an entire small store-bought container. It’s worth it.
A Few Basic Spices
Freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano and red pepper flakes round out the flavors in this dish. If you’re sensitive to spice, go light on the red pepper flakes or omit them entirely.
Cheese
True pasta alla Norma is made with aged ricotta salata, which is difficult to find in the United States. For something fairly similar, try equal parts store-bought ricotta salata and Parmesan. Other suggestions I’ve found online include Grana Padano or mature Pecorino Romano (with or without some crumbled feta). All that said, I don’t think you could go wrong with mozzarella. Some recipes also include dollops of ricotta, which would surely be tasty.
If you’re following a dairy-free or vegan diet, I believe you’ll still love this dish without cheese. Or, you could finish your bowls with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan and perhaps even a dollop of vegan sour cream in place of ricotta.
How to Make Pasta alla Norma
This recipe is simple enough to pull off on a weeknight if you start an hour before dinnertime. It calls for a few simple components and you’ll get the hang of it quickly. Pour yourself a glass of Italian red wine, perhaps a Sangiovese, and make the most of it!
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s the gist:
1) Start the marinara sauce.
That is, assuming you’re going the homemade route. You really won’t believe how quickly my marinara comes together!
2) Prepare and roast the eggplant.
We’re going to follow Ottolenghi’s lead here and use a vegetable peeler to shave off strips of eggplant peel to make it look rather zebra-like. This way, you still get some of the nice texture of the eggplant skin, but you don’t end up with distracting long strips of it in your finished dish (the eggplant tends to fall apart in the sauce, in a good way). Then, we’ll slice the eggplant into rounds, brush them with oil, and roast them until deeply golden.
3) Cook the pasta in salted water.
Salting the water infuses your pasta with more flavor. Try to remember to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining it—the starch in the water helps unite the sauce with the pasta. I typically scoop some into a Pyrex glass measuring cup just before draining. (If you forget, as I often do, no worries.)
4) Stir it all together.
This is when we add the fresh basil, most of the cheese (reserve some for garnish), and some spices. Add salt to taste, and your meal is ready to serve. Buon appetito.
More Eggplant Recipes to Enjoy
- Baba Ganoush
- Caponata (also from Sicily)
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Roasted Summer Vegetables
- Ratatouille
- Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Orzo Pasta
As always, please let me know how your pasta alla Norma turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you. If you’re hungry for more pasta dishes, I’ve got you covered.
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a delicious Sicilian pasta dish with eggplant, marinara and basil. This amazing recipe features roasted eggplant, not fried! Recipe yields 4 entrée servings.
Ingredients
- 1 batch Super Simple Marinara Sauce, or 2 cups (16 ounces) store-bought marinara
- 2 medium eggplants (about 2 ¼ pounds total)
- ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste
- 8 ounces rigatoni, ziti or spaghetti
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus a handful more small basil leaves or torn leaves for garnish
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ cup (1.5 ounces) finely grated ricotta salata and/or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- If making your own marinara: Cook the sauce per instructions. If it’s done cooking before you’re ready to assemble, cover the pot and keep it warm over very low heat. If you’re using store-bought marinara, warm it in a pot over medium-low heat while you cook the pasta.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave off long alternating strips of eggplant peel. The eggplants will look striped like zebras when you’re done. Then slice the eggplants into ½-inch thick rounds, discarding the end pieces.
- Place the eggplant on the lined baking sheets. Brush the rounds with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle the eggplant with the salt and plenty of pepper. Roast until deeply golden and tender, about 35 to 45 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining (about ½ cup should be plenty), then return the pasta to the pot.
- When the eggplant is done and the marinara is finished cooking (or warmed through, if using store-bought), gently stir the roasted eggplant into the sauce. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, fresh basil, red pepper flakes (skip if you don’t like spice, or load it up if you do). Crush the dried oregano between your fingers as you drop it in.
- Add the pasta to the sauce with a couple tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water, and gently stir it in. Add about two-thirds of the cheese, reserving the rest for garnish. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add ¼ teaspoon more) and black pepper. You can add a bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce, if desired.
- Divide the pasta between four bowls. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the individual servings, followed by some extra fresh basil. For added richness, drizzle the servings lightly with olive oil. Enjoy! Leftover pasta will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe roughly adapted from Ottolenghi Simple (a cookbook, affiliate link) and my eggplant Parmesan.
Make it gluten free: This dish would likely be nice with sturdy gluten-free noodles, such as a corn and quinoa blend.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese (this pasta is still very nice without it). You could sprinkle individual servings with vegan Parmesan. You might enjoy a dollop of vegan sour cream for some creaminess, too.
Parmesan note: Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Um, obviously I’m making this. Miss you, lady!
Miss you too! ♥
Do you think zuchinni would work in place of eggplant? I have a bunch from my garden I need to use.
Hi Cristina, You could but the texture and flavor will be different. Let me know what you think!
Thank you!
I have always eaten this in restaurants where it is made with the eggplant being cubed. Why did you decide to slice it rather than cube it? Oh, my name is also Norma.
Hi Norma! I love your name. :) Eggplant preparations for pasta alla Norma differ. Since we’re roasting the eggplant rather than frying, and it all falls apart in the dish anyway, roasting it in rounds is easier and offers more surface area for browning.
Thanks Kate. I was wanting a new vegan eggplant recipe and this will be great! I’ll make it in the next couple of weeks.
Hi Terry! Be sure to let me know what you think. I hope you love it!
Thank you for the delicious recipe, so easy to make and now a firm favourite in our home
I’m glad it’s a favorite, Roma! I appreciate your review.
This is one of my all time favorite dishes. I’m so excited to try your take on it. Your recipes are always perfection. Inhace not made it in a very long time but I used to put cubes of smoked mozzarella in it. So good. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you, Christina! You’re so kind. Thanks for following along!
I just wanted to tell you I recently subscribed to your emails and I am really enjoying your recipes and stories behind them!! Love it! Can’t wait to try pasta a la Norma! I love pasta and I love eggplant so I’m sure it will be a happy marriage in my mouth! I am a Mexican who is loves to cook all kinds of different foods! This summer along with I’m sure millions…I learned to make sourdough bread…so your pasta dish will go perfect with my bread and a fresh salad!
I hope you love this one too, Sandra! I have always wanted to make sourdough, it’s on my list! I’m happy you figured it out.
Looks fabulous, and I appreciate you using way less olive oil than Ottolenghi does! (It’s healthy, of course, but everything in moderation…) The Italians seem determined to confuse us – I have to try and keep it fixed in my mind that melanzane is eggplant, not melon, and caponata doesn’t have any capons in it:).
This was great—the whole family loved it! Easy to make too!
I’m excited it was a hit, Lisa! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Quick question – Is that correct roast 1/2 inch eggplant rounds for 45 min at 425 degrees? That seems awfully long.
Love your recipes, just thought I’d ask
Cheers,
Hi Howard, yes it is the correct time. You want it to be tender. If you try it, let me know what you think!
Hi Howard,
I agree, I did mine measuring the 1/2 inch to make sure and they were burnt by about 30 min! I managed to salvage a few, and the dish was smokey indeed, but I’d keep a close eye on these and be prepared in case that roasting time is cut by half.
Hi Mo, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you flip them half way?
I did. I made it again last night, I turned the oven down to 400F and baked 15 min on the first side and 10 min on the second side and they turned out great, with one just starting to burn on the edges. My oven also runs 10F colder. So I would say watch like a hawk! Maybe I’m applying way less oil to protect them? But I brushed them evenly as I could, with a pastry brush dipped in oil…. Thanks!
So funny a si had this dish last night on my work trip in Catania and caponata earlier in the week. Great job Kate on keeping it healthy. As an Italian American living in Naples but from DC , I say you hit the nail with your recipes. Brava
Thank you, Maria! That’s good to hear from someone who gets to experience the authentic version abroad!
I can attest that this is delicious even without any cheese or cheese substitute.
Thank you for reporting back Eileen!
A great dish!! I tried it a couple of times in Florence and Rome with Capers added. And that’s the way I’ve cooked it ever since. :)
My mouth is watering after looking at, and reading these amazing ingredients in this dish. This is a must have. Thanks!
Thank you, Iviry! I hope you love it when you try it.
I love this recipe. So simple to make plus I always like your gluten free options. I cut the recipe in half for just two of us but should have made the whole thing. So far every recipe of yours that I have tried has been a winner especially the vegetable lasagne, the Chickpea Noodle Soup, the Best Lentil Soup and your Butternut Squash Linguine.
Can’t wait to try more. Thanks for all your efforts.
I’m excited you loved it, Carol! Great to hear you are enjoying so many delicious C+K recipes. I appreciate your review!
Hi Kate
I expect that the name of this dish also arose because the name of the soprano who sang the title role at the first performances at La Scala Milan in 1831was Giuditta Pasta.
I’ll certainly try this recipe as I love eggplant.
Simon
Now that is interesting! Thank you, Simon.
I have no words to explain how delicious this pasta dish is! I actually made for lunch (I’m retired! ) and after my partner and I devoured it, I had to decide if I was gonna keep the other two servings for tomorrow, or share them with someone I knew would also love it. Which is just about everyone I know! I ended up giving the leftovers to my vegetarian neighbours, and they raved about it. Best. Eggplant. Recipe. Ever.
Luana, thank you!! You make my hard work worthwhile. :)
Made this for dinner last night and it was SO good! I veganized it with vegan parm and unfortunately had no basil and it was still absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again!
Can you roast the eggplant ahead of time to help speed preparation? I am making this for company and I’d like to spend less time in the kitchen, and more time with my guests.
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried it. I don’t see why not. Let me know how it turns out!
Out of this world! It was so tasty and delicious.
This recipe was great! My 2 year old ate a bunch of it and he has been very picky lately :). I must have some crappy peelers. They could not handle the eggplant skin. I ended up using a knife to make the stripes. Do you mind sharing the brand of peeler you use?
Hi Lilly! I’m happy it was such a hit. I have all my kitchen essentials on my shop page. You will be able to find a link there! Hope it helps.
Is there an alternative to pasta that you would recommend for this recipe?
Maybe mixing the eggplant and marinara sauce together and serving it separately with quinoa or couscous? Would I need to reduce the amount of liquid?
Thanks the recipe sounds delish!
Hi Shaen, This recipe is meant to have pasta, but the sauce is still delicious. Let me know if you try it over quinoa or another alternative.
Thank you. I will.
SOOOO GOOD
Best pasta ever , I made a homemade batch of marinara, and this was just delicious
Hi Kate!
I was wondering about the quantity of noodles that you used for Pasta Norma.Did you use 8oz of dried pasta? I bought 8oz of fresh pasta which looks like it may not be enough.
Thank you,
Judith
8 ounces rigatoni, ziti or spaghetti dried. I hope you can enjoy it!
Looks amazing! Would you recommend using a convection oven setting and just lessening the cook time?
Hi Cait, I suggest it as is and not sure that would get you your desired result, sorry!
This was really delicious and quite easy to make. Great way to use up eggplant. A nice lighter alternative to eggplant parmigiana! Will definitely make this again!
I’ll start by saying that eggplant is not on the top of my veggie list, but this dish was fabulous! Used jarred marinara for an easy weeknight meal. Thanks for another great recipe.
I feel like I just ate out at an Italian Restaurant!! Such a melding of flavours. This recipe was so easy to make yet so delicious, definitely a 5 star keeper. I did cut back on the red pepper flakes as I don’t like a lot of spice and I’m glad I did. There was a bit of heat but not over the top. I have never left a comment before on any recipe site but this was soooo good I just had to. Thank You!!!
Excellent! Thank you so much, Barb. :)
Wow this recipe is amazing!! Just made it for my husband and me and upon first bite he declared it’s his new favorite! I used penne and vegan Parmesan I had made from cashews. Your tomato sauce recipe is also brilliant! I just felt bad throwing away the onions…any suggestions for alternative uses after they’re done in the sauce?
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you loved this recipe! The onion won’t have much flavor after it’s been cooked in the sauce—you could just chop it up and throw it back into the sauce. I imagine you could also chop it up before cooking the sauce and then you wouldn’t have to deal with it afterward. Hope that helps!
Weirdly the eggplant in the bottom third of my oven burned (though the sheet in the top third was fine). It seems like ovens vary a lot!
I made it this week (with your homemade marinara recipe) and it was FABULOUS! I can’t believe how “creamy” the marinara turns when the roasted eggplants are mixed in it! It was absolutely delicious, the ingredients are not complicated and easy to find (I just used parmesan instead of ricotta salata, oh but my husband found some regular salata and we just add a dollop of it on top of the plate as you mentioned in your introduction).
Such an excellent bowl of comfort food (I love pasta). Thank you!! I really like your blog!
I can’t even get over how delicious and simple this recipe was. I overcooked the eggplant by a few minutes because I love the flavor of “over” roasted veggies. Even my husband, who is not a pasta guy, loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing it!!
Fabulous recipe. I haven’t tried the homemade marinara sauce yet but used my favourite jarred marinara sauce “White Linen” which I buy at Costco in Canada.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you loved it, Mindi.
I’m always looking for a lighter version of eggplant parm and this looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. Do you think it would work to air fry the eggplant instead of roasting it in the oven? I’m the only one in my house who likes eggplant so thinking of cutting the amount down just for my portion. Thanks!
Hi Amy! I’m not sure about air frying it, but you could try it. Let me know what you think!
This is a fantastic recipie made it tonight. I’m a new gluten free vegetarian\pescetarian and was looking for recipes that are delicious and came across your site. So simple, so yummy. Thanks for the awesome recipe cannot wait to try some more!
This was AMAZING! Wowza.
Absolutely LOVED this recipe! Simple, quality ingredients thrown together for a fantastic result. Will be making again and again!
This is delicious! Even the teenagers who were apprehensive about eggplant ate it up
Thank you for sharing, Dale! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
This is outstanding. Super easy to make. I have a family of picky eaters but my 9 year old LOVED it, even with the red pepper – its *just* enough to not scare off a child. And my husband is picky AF, takes two bites and pronounces something made perfectly to be “not for him” and eats Eggos for dinner instead — and he was like “this is restaurant quality.”
I will make this one regularly. I love that the only thing I need to pick up at the store that I don’t always have on hand is eggplant and basil.
THANK YOU!
I’m excited this one passed the test! Thank you for sharing, Amanda.
Hunting for crumbs in the kitchen!
Oh my gosh, this is SO good. I only had one eggplant, so that’s what I used. Definitely recommend using the full amount if you can, but amazing regardless. Used mozzarella because my grocery store doesn’t have vegetarian parm, and made your marinara, as written except for extra garlic. Yum yum yum! Love your recipes so much. Been thinking about Cookie, hope your sweet girl is still handling treatment well
Thank you, Laura! Great to hear you really enjoyed it.
Absolutely delicious!! Made it with red lentil penne (I’m gluten-free). The flavours and textures were a great combination! I love your use of red pepper flakes in pasta dishes – I’d never tried that but it gives them such warmth and depth. This will definitely be a regular on my recipe rotation :)
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Nat. Glad this one will become a regular for you.
This recipe was delicious! Will definitely become a staple. I made the super simple marinara sauce as suggested. Ran out of fresh basil so I used dried but I will definitely like to try making it again with a bunch of fresh basil. Even the kids gobbled it up. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe.
Thank you for sharing! Happy to hear it was a hit.
This was SO GOOD! My 10yo wants to be a vegetarian, and we’re trying to support him, but finding recipes that will tickle a 10yo palate while still appealing to omnivores (and not relying entirely on cheese, because hello, saturated fat) is tricky. We made this and were all practically licking the bowls clean. He doesn’t usually like eggplant, but he loved this. I put some roasted baby bellas in my daughter’s because she loves mushrooms but hates eggplant, and that was yummy, too. Thank you!!!
I’m glad this was a hit with all! Thank you for your review, Rachel.
Made it last night and was incredibly delicious. Will become a staple in my house
Beautiful sauce- I ate it with DeCecco’s cavatappi pasta and it “caught” the eggplant and tomato chunks perfectly.
I just made this dish for myself and my husband for dinner and it was fantastic! Going to be put into our rotation. Roasted eggplant makes this great for meatless Monday. Marinara was divine – when I took the onion out, I let it cool for a bit and cut up a couple pieces and added back to the sauce. Delish! Thank you, Kate!
That’s great to hear, Meg! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Made this as a cozy lunch for my partner and me–so delicious! My eggplant baked up a little quicker than the time stated. Can’t wait to make this one again. Thanks Kate for another fantastic recipe!
I made this recipe last night & it is definitely going into the rotation.
It was so simple, yet so flavorful & the perfect healthy week night meal that was easy to pull together.
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you for your review, Kelli.
I liked the flavor of this dish and the homemade sauce, but like some other folks, the eggplant was VERY burned. I followed directions exactly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to smell the burning until it was too late. I still used most of the eggplant because once it was added to the dish, the charring wasn’t noticeable. I’ll make this again and reduce the temp and time for the eggplant, and I’ll check them more often. Thank you for the recipes!! I appreciate the effort that you put into your work. I’ve made so many of your recipes and have shared your site with lots of friends.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t have great results, Kim. I appreciate your feedback!
Can I make this a day ahead and reheat ?
Sure! Let me know what you think.
This came out fantastic! I loved it. My husband doesn’t like eggplant so he ate the pasta and sauce. Make the sauce from scratch if you have 45 min to spare. It’s soooo good and super easy! Next time I’m going roast zucchini in place of eggplant for my hubby.
Thank you for sharing, Esther! I appreciate your review.