sorta pasta alla norma
pasta alla norma for tired people
I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain, during the fall semester of my junior year. My friend Scottie and I opted for the homestay option versus getting our own apartment in the city — a decision that felt impossibly worldly and cool at the time, but, in reality, led to us hiding in our bedroom from our homestay host for four months straight because she was a non-English-speaking knockoff of Miss Hannigan.
Our bedroom was so tiny that we could hold hands while lying in our creaky twin beds, which we often did in order to give each other the courage to go use the bathroom that we shared with our terrifying Señora.
One weekend, we went to visit our friends Claire and Mary Pell, who were studying in Florence for the semester. Unlike us, they had opted not to live with a menacing elderly Spanish woman who cooked them white potatoes in the microwave for three meals per day.
Our jaws hit the floor when we entered the gorgeous, high-ceilinged apartment that they were sharing with a few other American girls in the heart of Florence. They each had their own queen bed! They had a living room and their own kitchen! They ate pasta for dinner every night!
And we hadn’t even heard their class schedule yet. On their syllabus: Wines of Tuscany! Italian cooking! Art history!
We tagged along to one of their Italian cooking classes, and I learned a recipe that has stuck with me for nearly 15 years — Pasta Alla Norma. In traditional pasta alla norma, eggplant is sliced, salted, patted dry, deep fried, then cooked down for hours with tomatoes and a medley of herbs. It is truly fabulous, but it is obscenely time consuming.
I’ve messed around with making quicker versions for years, but this recipe is the closest I’ve ever gotten to replicating the rich, decadent flavor without the mess or hours of cook time. Don’t skimp on the olive oil — it’s crucial to achieving luscious and tender eggplant that melds into the tomato sauce.
Oh, and we’re using store-bought marinara to cut down on cook time. I love Rao’s — it’s expensive but it’s worth it. I stock up at Costco, and whenever I see it on sale.
Also, we’re adding sausage, which is not at all traditional, but is absolutely delicious.
But I have tons of tomatoes in my garden
Ditch the marinara sauce and make your own! Grab 2 pounds of tomatoes, chop them up, and add them to the pot instead of the marinara sauce — omit the water and pasta. Add pinches of red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces down to a marinara consistency (this might take a while if your tomatoes are especially juicy!). Cook your pasta separately in the meantime to save time, then just drain and stir it into the sauce once it has thickened enough.
But I don’t like eggplant
Just try it.
Ok, fine, you can swap in zucchini if you must!!!!!! But seriously, justice for eggplant. Give it another shot.
This is a GREAT make-ahead meal. Cook the recipe as written and throw the whole pot with its lid on in the fridge until just before mealtime. To reheat it, add a splash of water to the pot and stir over medium heat until it’s hot. Another option: Make it in full and let it cool down (you can store it in the fridge covered for up to 3 days at this point, if needed). Transfer it to a casserole dish and sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated Parm over top, then bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. It’ll have a baked ziti vibe.
This recipe’s also freezable! Once it’s cooled, add the pasta to Ziploc bags and lay the bags flat on a baking sheet. Stick the baking sheet in your freezer. Once they’re frozen, you’ll be able to easily store them upright in your freezer! To serve it, let it thaw, in the fridge then reheat as instructed above.
For the record, I pretty much consider anything a make-ahead recipe. Just make it whenever you can, throw it in the fridge, and reheat it! There are few cases when the meal won’t still be delicious.
That said, here are a few other meals from the WTC archives that are especially well suited to make now and reheat and serve later!
one-pot pasta alla norma
Serves 6
Cook time: 50 minutes
Tools:
Vegetable peeler
Wide skillet, large saucepan, or Dutch oven
Blender, box grater, or microplane to grate your Parm
Ingredients:
1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) globe eggplant
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 pound mild Italian sausage
4 garlic cloves
2 cups pearl couscous or orzo pasta
1 (28 ounce) jar marinara sauce
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
Optional: red pepper flakes
Peel 1 eggplant like a zebra then cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Warm 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a wide skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the eggplant and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until very tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1 pound mild Italian sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles, until almost cooked through. Meanwhile, mince 4 garlic cloves. Add the garlic to the sausage, then continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through.
Add the cooked eggplant and 2 cups pearl couscous and stir for several minutes to toast the couscous a bit. Stir in 1 (28 ounce) jar marinara sauce, 2 1/2 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Continue cooking over medium-high for several minutes, until the liquid reaches a boil-like consistency, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
Meanwhile, grate your Parmesan if needed (break it into chunks and throw it in the blender!) and thinly slice 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves.
Stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and most of the basil (leave some out for garnish).
Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of Parm, basil, and red pepper flakes if you’re into those.
link to printer version
Why are we peeling eggplant like a zebra? I like to keep some skin on there to hold the eggplant together and help it keep its shape a bit, but if there’s too much it can be tough and chewy. Peeling off half is the perfect compromise!
My widest skillet/saucepan doesn’t have a lid: Use a sheet pan!
Make ahead/freezer-friendly: See the “prep talk” section in the intro.
Vegetarian: Use a plant-based ground meat alternative or omit and double the eggplant
Parm notes: As a reminder, don’t buy pre-grated Parm! It contains anti-clumping agents that will keep it from melting and incorporating like we want it to. For the best taste and consistency, shop for Parmigiano Reggiano. Like I said in the recipe, you can chop your Parm into blocks then pulse it in a blender to grate it super quickly. Or use the smallest hole on your box grater, if grating by hand.
Gimme some greens: If you want extra greens, chop up a few handfuls of spinach and add them to the mix with the thinly sliced basil and Parm.
Dairy-free: Use a DF Parm, omit cheese altogether, or make a vegan Parm to sprinkle on top.
Gluten-free: Any gluten-free noodle sub would be great, but you’ll want to cook it separately. Boil the noodles in a separate pot while you’re cooking your sausage, drain the noodles, then add them to the saucepan along with the tomato sauce.
Eggplant: Zucchini would be great! About 3 medium zucchinis should equal 1 1/2 to 2 pounds.
EVOO: Olive oil (preferred sub — we want that flavor!!!) or, in a bind, a neutral-tasting oil like avocado, grapeseed, or canola
Sausage: You can use any ground meat (like turkey, chicken, plain pork, or beef), but season it with a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder when you add it to the pan.
Garlic cloves: 4 cubes of frozen minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pearl couscous or orzo pasta: Absolutely any small- shaped noodle would be good in this dish (like fusilli, farfalle, etc.), but the timing here is specific to pearl couscous or orzo. If you’re up for watching it closely, you could do this one-pot technique with another type of noodle (using the same measurements of both pasta and water!), you’ll just have to keep an eye on it. If it’s getting dry but the noodles aren’t al dente yet, add more water. If that makes you nervous, you can cook the noodles separately (definitely do this if you’re using a GF noodle like Banza!), drain it, and mix it into the dish when the marinara sauce has warmed.
Marinara: Make your own with 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes! See the “but I have tons of tomatoes in my garden” note in the intro for a how to. Alternatively, you could use a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, adding pinches of red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt. Shopping note: If you can’t find a 28-ounce jar of marinara, a 24-ouncer will be fine.
Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano): Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, even mozzarella
Fresh basil: Basil’s best for this — its flavor complements the eggplant. But Italian parsley would be good too!
Click here for the full index of What to Cook recipes categorized by protein, cook time, and mood.
Editor: Molly Ramsey
Illustrations: Nhung Lê
Edited to add: OMG SO GOOD. My eggplant-hating children declared this "the best pasta ever" and while there are no pasta leftovers (darn), there are sauce leftovers that I'm freezing and it's currently a 3-way tie for what I like most about your recipes - almost always enough to freeze for another meal, fantastic food, or ingredient amounts in the directions ;)
This looks so delicious and I can't wait. If I am making the pasta in a different pot, should I use less water in the sauce?
This is amazing!! How long will it stay good in the freezer? Thank you!