Quick and Awesome Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma is a classic Italian pasta recipe made with eggplant that's full of flavor and very quick to prepare.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 1079 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large eggplants
• 1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1 crushed dried red chile pepper
• 10 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves, or to taste
• 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 cup olive oil
• 0.25 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cut eggplants into french fry-sized strips and salt lightly.

Step 2

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant strips and fry until lightly browned and fully cooked through, turning from time to time, 4 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, bay leaf, and peppercorns to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until spaghetti is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.

Step 4

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and chile pepper and fry lightly until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft but still holding shape, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Drain pasta and immediately add to cooked tomatoes. Add fried eggplant, feta, and basil. Toss to combine and serve immediately.