Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)

This Sicilian dish I recently learned about and ran this recipe by my friend who lived in Sicily and she confirmed the only ingredient that might be hard to come by would be the ricotta salata. I used vegan gruyere because it's what I had on hand but vegan parmesan, ricotta or feta would work! I adapted the recipe from the one on Cookie and Kate. It was absolutely delicious and actually very easy.

Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)

Ingredients

2 cups (16 ounces) store-bought or homemade marinara

2 medium eggplants (about 2 ¼ pounds total) 

¼ cup + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste

8 ounces pasta of choice (I used GF penne)

½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus some for garnish

½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup to garnish finely grated vegan ricotta salata or cheese of choice

Method 

Preheat the oven to 425F and line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup. I use reusable silicon mats!

Use a vegetable peeler to shave off long alternating strips of eggplant peel, I used a zester, slice the eggplants into ½" thick rounds, discarding the end pieces. 

Place the eggplant on the lined baking sheets. Brush the rounds with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle the eggplant with the salt and plenty of pepper. Roast until deeply golden and tender, about 35 to 45 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes. Set aside.

Add marinara to a medium pot and heat gently on low.

Bring another pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining (about ½ cup should be plenty), then return the pasta to the pot.

When the eggplant is done and the marinara is finished cooking, gently stir the roasted eggplant into the sauce. I mushed them in a bit to break them up. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, fresh basil, red pepper flakes (skip if you don’t like spice, or load it up if you do). Crush the dried oregano between your fingers as you drop it in.

Add the pasta to the sauce with a couple tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water, and gently stir it in. Add about two-thirds of the cheese, reserving the rest for garnish. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add ¼ teaspoon more) and black pepper. You can add a bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce, if desired.

Divide the pasta between four bowls. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the individual servings, followed by some extra fresh basil. For added richness, drizzle the servings lightly with olive oil. Enjoy! Leftover pasta will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 5 days.