Pasta alla Norma

Ingredients

• 1 lb rigatoni or penne
• 2 medium eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• Salt
• Olive oil for frying
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• Fresh basil
• Ricotta salata (or feta), shaved

Method

1. Step: Salt eggplant cubes, rest 20 min on a rack. Pat very dry.

2. Fry: Fry eggplant in 1/2 inch olive oil over medium-high until golden on all sides (5 min). Drain on wire rack.

3. Step: In a separate pan, sauté garlic in 2 tbsp oil 1 min. Add tomatoes, simmer 15 min.

4. Cook: Cook pasta. Toss with tomato sauce, fried eggplant, and pasta water.

5. Step: Top with torn basil and shaved ricotta salata.

What You're Practicing

• Salting eggplant draws out moisture and bitterness (osmosis) — same technique as eggplant parm.
• Frying the eggplant separately keeps it crispy — adding it raw to the sauce makes it mushy.
• Ricotta salata is a firm, salty sheep's milk cheese. Feta is the closest substitute.