Sicilian Family Recipes: Pasta Edition "Paccheri alla Norma".

A classic from Catania, Pasta alla Norma is a celebration of Sicilian eggplant and tomatoes, perfectly paired with Paccheri’s ridged surface for maximum sauce cling.

Paccheri alla Norma: Step-by-Step with Photos

Ingredients

• 500g Pastificio Lenato Paccheri
• 2 medium eggplants, cubed
• 3 cups ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 can San Marzano tomatoes)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup Sicilian olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta salata, grated
• Fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

Step 1: Salt and Drain Eggplant
Sprinkle cubed eggplant with salt and let drain in a colander for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

Step 2: Fry the Eggplant
Fry the eggplant cubes in olive oil until golden and set aside.

Step 3: Make the Tomato Sauce
Sauté garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Cook the Paccheri
Cook Paccheri in salted boiling water until al dente.

Step 5: Combine Pasta, Sauce & Eggplant
Toss the cooked Paccheri with tomato sauce and fried eggplant.