Spaghetti alla norma recipe
Spaghetti alla chitarra is a type of pasta typical to the Abruzzo region in Italy. Similar to spaghetti, it's square in shape and works perfectly in this take on a classic Sicilian pasta alla norma, incorporating meaty aubergine and soft ricotta cheese.
Tip: Ricotta salata is a compact, semi-hard and quite salty (salata means salted) cheese made from cow's milk. If you can't find it, ricotta can be used instead.
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti or spaghetti alla chitarra
- 200 g aubergine cut into 1cm (0.4 inch) cubes
- 80 g ricotta or ricotta salata
- 400 g tomato passata
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of ground black pepper
Details
- Cuisine: Italian
- Recipe Type: Pasta
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 25 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Fry the aubergine cubes in a splash of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper until caramelised, around 4–5 minutes.
- Add the oregano followed by the tomato passata and simmer for 20 minutes. Check the seasoning and keep warm until needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water for the time on the pack.
- Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and toss well.
- Plate in a neat pile in the centre of the dish and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle with the grated ricotta salata or spoon on the regular ricotta before serving.
Recipes created in partnership with Garofalo Pasta.