Pasta alla Norma - Eggplant Pasta

Summer is the season for eggplant!  It is sometimes called aubergine and comes in a variety of sizes and colors.  It is has a spongy texture and works well fried or stewed.
When buying eggplant, you want to make sure that the skin is smooth and the whole eggplant is firm. There are also male and female eggplants.  The females can be slightly pear-shaped and have more seeds.  The males, are usually longer and have fewer seeds.  Next time you are shopping, look at the bottom of the eggplant.  If the indentation is like a dash, it is a female.  If the indentation is like a dot, it is a male.  Either male or female, both are delicious. 
 
This recipe of Pasta alla Norma is a quick and flavorful meal. It can turn plain pasta into a trip to Southern Italy.

Ingredients
1 medium size eggplant, 1" cubed
2-3 inches of vegetable oil
1lb. short cut pasta (rigatoni, penne, rotini etc.)
1 medium onion, diced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 
1-25oz. bottle of passata or tomato puree (I like Mutti)
Basil leaves, torn

​Heat your vegetable oil in a shallow saute pan over medium-high heat.  I use vegetable oil because it has a higher smoke point and I don't have to worry about allergies.  In Sicily, I noticed that they use a lot of peanut and seed oils. Test your oil by placing one cube of eggplant in the oil.  If it does not immediately start to bubble and fry, wait.  Think of this as a deep-fry of the eggplant.  If the oil is not hot enough, your eggplant will just soak up the oil and become mushy and tasteless.  Once your oil is hot, carefully place  your cubed eggplant in the oil.  You may have to do this step in batches depending on the size of your pan.  You don't want to crowd and steam the eggplant.  Now fry away.  How long do you fry the eggplant?  Until it is deep brown but not burnt.  I use to cook my eggplant until it was lightly golden until a recent trip to Sicily.  I had a cooking class with a woman named Patricia in Palermo.  She told me the secret to good eggplant is to fry it dark.  The dishes we made with her were so delicious that now I only fry my eggplant dark.  I don't bread my eggplant anymore either, but that is for another blog and recipe.  Once the eggplant is fried, remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.  

Get a pot of salted water going for your pasta.  You want to make sure the water comes to a boil and cook your pasta until al dente.  Don't overcook it because you will be finishing it in the sauce.  I like short pasta, and it is traditional, with this recipe because it grabs the sauce and the eggplant giving you the perfect bite.  

While the pasta cooks, drain all but a few tablespoons of oil from your pan.  If all the oil is gone, add a few tablespoons.  Heat on medium.  Now add your onions and red pepper flakes to the pan.  Cook until the onions become soft and translucent.  

Next, add the passata to the onion and red pepper flakes.  Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  At this point, your pasta should be done.  Drain it and add it to the sauce along with the fried eggplant and torn basil.  Mix and Mangiare! 

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