Penne rigate pasta with grilled eggplant, ricotta salata, and basil. The dish was named after the Sicilian composer Bellini‘s hugely successful opera Norma to honor both the dish and the opera.
The ideal wine should be medium-bodied with a persistent flavor. If you like red I suggest Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Sicily which is a blend of Frappato and Nero D’Avola with low tannins or a 100% Nero D’Avola. Malvasia del Lazio or Falanghina would also be great pairing with this classic dish.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb. penne rigate pasta
read the pasta label for appropriate cooking time. - 1 large eggplant
- 1 medium size onion
- 3 oz. aged ricotta salata, grated
- 1 oz. aged ricotta salata, shaved
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/5 lb. fresh tomatoes or canned if you like
- 1 oz.Olive oil
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- pepper to taste
Directions:
Slice the eggplant and place in layers on a cutting board or a dish. Sprinkle abundant salt on each layer of eggplants as you stack them. Place another cutting board or dish on top of the stack and a weight on top of the cutting board or dish for one hour until the bitter water seeps out of the eggplant.
- Grill or bake the eggplant and cut in medium chunks.
- Dice the onion in medium pieces and blanch in boiling water then drain.
In a sauce pan over medium heat add the olive oil, garlic, the blanched onion and the tomatoes. Cook for thirty five minutes over medium heat, remove from heat, add fresh oil and basil, then strain the sauce. Once the sauce is strained add the eggplant and mix in the grated ricotta.
In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, add salt and the penne. Cook until al dente and drain. Put the pasta in a large serving dish and top with the sauce, and sprinkle with the shaved ricotta salata and a few more basil leaves and serve. This recipe serves six.
Recipe courtesy of ISABELLA ITALIAN BISTRO in Tarrytown, NY