Pasta alla Norma with Minced Meat
A little twist and twirl on another classic that I came to adore ever since we’ve visited Sicily last year.
Pasta alla Norma is a delectable Italian dish that combines the rich flavours of Sicilian cuisine with the comforting taste of pasta. This dish traditionally features rigatoni pasta combined with a succulent tomato sauce, flavoured with garlic and basil, but this time in absence of rigatoni I chose the very next best thing - mezze penne, a bit shorter and smaller pasta, but has the same ability of combining with the sauce.
And the addition of lightly browned minced meat, adds a satisfying depth of flavour and a hearty texture to the dish. Combined with ricotta salata, Pasta alla Norma with minced meat is a rich combination of savory and indulgent, making it the perfect choice for a festive meal or a cozy night in.
Cook the pasta in salted water until al-dente and save 125 ml of pasta water.
Fry the minced meat on olive oil for 2 minutes, then add in the diced aubergine, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 3-4 minutes.
In a separate pot simmer tomato puree with pasta water, minced garlic and chopped basil for about 20 minutes.
Once the sauce is done, stir in salted ricotta, aubergines and minced meat with pasta and top with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese.
Pasta alla Norma with Minced Meat
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al-dente and save 125 ml of pasta water.
- Fry the minced meat on olive oil for 2 minutes, then add in the diced aubergine, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- In a separate pot simmer tomato puree with pasta water, minced garlic and chopped basil for about 20 minutes.
- Once the sauce is done, stir in salted ricotta, aubergines and minced meat with pasta and top with freshly grated pecorino romano cheese.
