Rigatoni Alla Norma Recipes

RIGATONI ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Place eggplants in a colander set in a sink or over a bowl. Season eggplant generously with salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Rinse eggplant under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Place flour in a shallow dish and, working in batches, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess.
• In a large pot, heat canola oil until it reaches 300 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, fry eggplant until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon; repeat process with remaining eggplant.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add fried eggplant and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and increase heat to a simmer.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt boiling water and return to a boil. Add pasta and cook, until almost al dente, about 2 minutes less than indicated on package instructions. Drain and add to skillet with eggplant mixture.
• Stir pasta until well combined with sauce, about 2 minutes. Add basil and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with ricotta salata cheese.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Cut the eggplants into slices and place them in layers in a dish or colander with some salt sprinkled between the slices. Let them sweat for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. When ready rinse off the salt and pat dry.

PASTA ALLA NORMA: NORMA'S PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the penne in a pot of boiling salted water. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.
• To make the sauce: In a saucepan, heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Gently saute the chopped onions until tender, then add the plum tomatoes and liquid from the can. With the back of a wooden spoon, break up the tomatoes into little chunks. Season the sauce with salt, and pepper, to taste. Cook the tomato sauce for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
• In another pan, heat olive oil and fry the eggplant cubes until golden.
• Drain the eggplant cubes on a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Drain the pasta approximately 2 minutes before the 'al dente' stage and add the pasta to the saucepan. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Add the fried eggplant, basil leaves and sprinkle with ricotta salata. Mix the ingredients together well in the saucepan so that the pasta and the sauce are well amalgamated or combined. Be careful not to overcook the pasta. Transfer the pasta to a warm serving bowl or divide the pasta among warm plates and sprinkle extra ricotta salata on top and serve immediately.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Peel the eggplants and slice them crosswise into disks less than one-half-inch thick. Layer the slices in a bowl, sprinkling coarse kosher salt over each layer. Place a plate over the slices and place a weight on top. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Rinse the eggplant slices well and pat them dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and saute for two minutes. Add the eggplant and saute for 15 minutes, turning once or twice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour in one-half cup of cold water. Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add coarse salt to taste, then add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 9 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the garlic from the eggplant and discard. Drain the pasta well, place it in a shallow serving bowl and pour the eggplant sauce over. Toss well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with additional ground black pepper.

BAKED RIGATONI ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoon salt in a colander. Drain 30 minutes. Rinse, then squeeze out excess liquid and pat dry.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry eggplant in 3 batches, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Discard all but 2 tablespoons oil from skillet, then sauté onion with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in sauce and eggplant and simmer 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook rigatoni in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quart water) until al dente, then drain. Stir together pasta, sauce, and half of mozzarella in pot. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and golden in spots, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

RIGATONI ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the garlic has a golden color. Add the tomatoes, basil and oregano, and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and remove from heat. Reserve. Preheat the oven to 450. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the eggplants, reserving the skin. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, place on a sheet pan, coat with vegetable oil and thyme, and season with salt. Cover with aluminum foiland bake for 20 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft. Remove them from the oven, then place the eggplant and remaining olive oil in a blender (or food processor) and process until smooth. Reserve Julienne the eggplant skins on a diagonal into pieces that are 2 inches long. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant skins in the oil until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-covered plate. Reserve. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to packaged directions. Strain , toss the pasta with the tomato sauce and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and divide among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a few cubes of mozzerella, 1 tablespoon eggplant puree and the crispy eggplant skins. Garnish with chopped basil and serve.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant about 1/2 inch thick. Cook in abundant olive oil, without crowding, sprinkling with salt and adding more oil as needed. You will undoubtedly have to cook in batches; take your time and cook until the eggplant is nicely browned and soft. Remove to a plate; do not drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water to boil and salt it.
• At the end of the cooking the eggplant, the pan will ideally have a couple of tablespoons of oil left. If there's more or less, drain some off or add a bit. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and chiles, and cook until the garlic colors a little bit. Add the tomatoes and oregano, along with some salt and pepper; cook until saucy but not too dry, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. While it's cooking, cut the eggplant into strips and reheat for a minute in the tomato sauce. Drain the pasta and toss it with the tomato sauce and the eggplant. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then top with the parsley or basil and grated cheese and serve.