Pasta alla Norma

Pasta a la Norma is a classic Sicilian pasta dish available just about everywhere in Sicily. It is mostly served with spaghetti, tomato sauce, eggplant, basil and a bit of grated ricotta salata. It is lovely to have…but too bad most places don’t offer vegan alternatives to the ricotta salata, like the tofu option I include in the recipe.

This is a simple dish to make at home – maybe even one you will make regularly.

The original version was made in honor of Norma, the main character of a popular Bellini opera. Some suggest the use

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Pasta a la Norma is a classic Sicilian pasta dish available just about everywhere in Sicily. It is mostly served with spaghetti, tomato sauce, eggplant, basil and a bit of grated ricotta salata. It is lovely to have…but too bad most places don’t offer vegan alternatives to the ricotta salata, like the tofu option I include in the recipe.

This is a simple dish to make at home – maybe even one you will make regularly.

The original version was made in honor of Norma, the main character of a popular Bellini opera. Some suggest the use of the Bellini’s character is because he always went to the same restaurant in Catania and ordered the same pasta dish while he was writing the story. After some time, the owner named the pasta dish after the main character and in honor of Bellini. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but it is a nice a story!

Difficulty: simple
Yield: about 4-6 servings