Pasta alla Norma

1. Cut the eggplants into slices and place them in layers in a dish or colander with some salt sprinkled between the slices. Let them sweat for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. When ready rinse off the salt and pat dry.

Prepare the tomato sauce;

1. If you are using fresh tomatoes, peel them by immersing them in boiling water and then cold water and then removing the skin. Cut them in half, remove most of the pips and chop them into pieces
2. Heat up 4 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan or skillet, Add the peeled cloves of garlic and let them brown a little. 
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes until they start to soften.
4. Add the passata, stir well, add a pinch of salt and cook for another 10 minutes (20 minutes if you are using only passata)

Fry the eggplants;

1. Fry the eggplant slices in plenty of hot olive oil until they turn golden on each side, dry them with kitchen paper if required, then cut some of them into small squares (leave at least one slice for each person).
2. Add some of these squares to the saucepan of tomato sauce (leave enough to add a few to each person’s plate)

Cook the pasta;

1. Cook the pasta al dente in boiling salted water, drain it and add it to the sauce, which may need to be reheated first if you cooked it earlier. Add black pepper to taste and the basil. Mix the pasta and the sauce together well.

How to serve alla Norma;

1. Put one whole fried eggplant slice into the bottom of each plate, cover with the pasta and sauce, add a few more squares of fried eggplant and sprinkle with grated ricotta salata. Serve immediately