Pasta alla Norma II
Author: Pizza Today
Recipe type: entrees
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 small, firm eggplants (about 2 pound), trimmed (but not peeled), cut into 12-inch cubes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a garlic press
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 6 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices
- 1 up torn basil leaves
- 1 pound ridged ziti or rigatoni
- 1 cup crumbled ricotta salata (a salted, dry ricotta cheese)
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil for 1 minute in a large saute pan set over medium high heat.
- Add the eggplant and cook and stir until the eggplant softens a bit.
- Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook & stir until the onion softens.
- Crush the tomatoes by hand or use a hand-held blender.
- Add the tomatoes to the saute pan with the eggplant and onion.
- Add the basil leaves.
- Simmer the sauce for an hour or more to reduce.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente.
- Drain well.
- Divide the pasta among heated pasta bowls.
- Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta.
- Sprinkle some of the ricotta salata over each portion.