Pasta alla Norma, Saturday Sauce Style
Share
This is our version of a pasta alla Norma — the Sicilian classic of eggplant, tomato, and salty cheese. We swap in mild Saturday Sauce for the tomato base and reach for a pasta shape with grooves and ruffles that catch the sauce and every bit of sauce and eggplant in it. One jar, one box, one eggplant — dinner's basically done.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz. jar mild Saturday Sauce
- 1 box (about 1 lb) cascatelli (we used Scratch Pasta's Spicy Garlic Mohawks here)
- 1 medium eggplant, diced into ¾-inch cubes
- 3–4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Ricotta salata, for shaving (optional)
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Roast the eggplant. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss the diced eggplant with 2–3 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt on a sheet pan. Roast 25–30 minutes, tossing once halfway, until deeply golden and creamy inside.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the cascatelli to al dente per the box. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
- Warm the sauce. While the pasta cooks, warm the Saturday Sauce in a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Fold in the roasted eggplant and let it simmer gently a few minutes so the eggplant soaks up the sauce.
- Bring it together. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss, splashing in pasta water a little at a time until the sauce clings to every ruffle.
- Finish and serve. Plate and shave generous curls of ricotta salata (or parm) over each bowl. Serve with a simple arugula salad with toasted pine nuts and shaved parm, dressed with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon, salt and pepper.