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Pasta alla Norma is a spicy eggplant pasta recipe with a garlic tomato sauce and fresh basil! It’s a 30-minute meatless dish that’s made with everyday ingredients and has a kick.
Try my Spicy Chicken Pasta or Spicy Italian Sausage Orzo next.
Why you’ll love it
This eggplant pasta recipe is inspired by the Sicilian classic, which is usually topped with a cheese called ricotta salata. That’s harder to find in North America (and doesn’t taste as good as in Italy), so I swapped it out for readily available parmesan. It’s so tasty!
It doesn’t get much better than a 30-minute meatless pasta that will actually fill you up. The tomato sauce is really easy to make, and it goes perfectly with bites of hearty, deliciously browned pan-fried eggplant. Italian herbs, rich flavor, and easy peasy. Say no more!
Who’s Norma?
This dish is called pasta alla Norma after the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini. Supposedly, an Italian writer tried the pasta and called it a Norma, meaning it was a masterpiece.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for pan frying
- Eggplant – it adds that irresistible meaty texture and signature flavor. Choose one with firm, glossy skin.
- Pasta – I like rigatoni with this sauce
- Garlic – savory goodness
- Tomatoes – we’re using canned diced tomatoes for that rustic texture
- Italian seasoning – my go-to blend of dried herbs in one jar
- Red pepper flakes – for that fantastic kick
- Parsley and basil – this duo makes the dish fresh and light
- Parmesan – always grate yours from a block! If you can find the traditional ricotta salata, you could definitely use that. Keep it mind it’s not the creamy ricotta you may be familiar with; it’s a crumbly, dry cheese that can be grated.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Use a quality chef’s knife to dice the eggplant with ease.
- Quickly mince garlic with the help of a garlic press, and grate the cheese with a Microplane zester.
- Here’s my favorite Le Creuset skillet.
How to make pasta alla Norma
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat up the olive oil in a skillet, and pan fry the eggplant until cooked through and lightly browned, stirring often. Meanwhile, start boiling the pasta. To the skillet, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Simmer until the tomatoes have softened. Add some of the starchy pasta water to the sauce. Toss with the drained pasta, and add the parmesan and basil.
Substitutions and variations
- I didn’t find it necessary to salt the eggplant beforehand to “sweat” out any bitterness, but if you want to do that step, it can’t hurt!
- Use petite diced tomatoes or even crushed tomatoes or passata if you prefer a smoother texture to the sauce.
- You can omit the cheese and/or change the spice level to suit your tastes.
What to serve with spicy eggplant pasta
- I’d pair it with a hot dinner roll, focaccia, or some fresh crusty bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping (or to mop up the sauce).
- A simple salad is another great option like my Parmesan Arugula Salad. To get creative, try my Creamy Pesto Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container. If you anticipate a lot of leftovers, store the eggplant sauce separately. Boil up fresh pasta when ready, and add the basil and cheese then.
- Reheat over a low heat in a saucepan until warmed through.
- The flavors will be there if you freeze the sauce, but the eggplant likely will soften more if you’re ok with that.
If you made this easy eggplant pasta, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram, and I can see photos of your S&L creations there.
Spicy Eggplant Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant cut into 1″ pieces
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste, see note
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or ricotta salata (see note)
- 1 large handful fresh basil torn
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté for about 10-12 minutes, or until they're cooked through and lightly browned, stirring fairly often. If the pan gets really dry, add in some more oil.
- Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water and cook your pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then add the garlic to the skillet and cook for about 20 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and parsley, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer until the eggplant and tomatoes have softened (about 5 minutes).
- When the pasta is almost ready, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add a splash of the pasta water to the sauce depending on how saucy you want it (I usually add about 1/4 cup), and then drain the pasta, add it to the skillet, and toss it with the sauce.
- Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and basil and gently toss again. Season to taste with salt & pepper and enjoy.
Notes
- This dish is quite spicy with the full teaspoon of crushed red pepper! Halve it or even quarter it if you want something more mild.
- Traditionally, ricotta salata is used in this recipe, but it can be harder to source than parmesan. Ricotta salata is a dry, crumbly cheese with a similar taste to feta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on September 26, 2017. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
This is the best eggplant pasta dish I’ve ever made! It was so easy and flavorful. My husband asked me to keep the recipe out because he is hoping to have it again soon!
Thank you!
You’re very welcome! 😀
I should have doubled the recipe! It was that good! Adding fresh parsley was a brilliant idea!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Jan!!
Oh wow – this was amazing. It may have jumped to the top of my favorite recipes! It was incredibly easy and delicious. Nice to have a meatless main – and did not miss the meat with the eggplant in it. I did just half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and it was perfect for us. Thank you as always Natasha- your recipes are always foolproof and fantastic ❤️
Thank you so much, Jenny! 😀 You’re very welcome!
I’ve been making a variation of this for years. It’s one of my all-time favorites.
Thank you, Bernadette!
My husband is not fond of meatless meals…but he loved it and even had seconds. I had some fresh summer squash., so I added that too. Thanks for the recipe.
I am so pleased to hear it, Linda! Thanks for leaving me a comment 😀
Just put this on the menu for next week because, omg, it looks AMAZING!
Thanks, friend! I hope you enjoy it. 💛
This looks so good, and my husband loves eggplant! I’ll have to try this while eggplant is still available in our local farm stands!
Thanks, Diane!! I hope you two enjoy it. 🙂