Love Italian Opera? Then Eggplant Pasta is the Perfect Dish for You!

How a Legendary Opera Inspired Sicily’s Most Delicious Pasta Dish

Eggplant pasta/pasta alla Norma pic courtesy of Stef Orzan @ella_orzan

Yesterday evening, I made pasta alla Norma for dinner — or as you might know it, Sicilian eggplant pasta.

This Italian dish is no secret; it’s famous worldwide, and finding the recipe is easy; just hop online, and you'll see it everywhere.

Traditionally, you’ll need short pasta like maccheroni or penne — though if you prefer spaghetti or bucatini, feel free to swap it in. The other essentials? Tomato sauce, garlic, basil, eggplant (or aubergine, for my British friends), and ricotta salata. Simple, right? Well, about that ricotta salata... good luck!

I won’t bore you with the step-by-step instructions because, as I said, you can easily look them up. Instead, I’ll offer a couple of tips: try to get your hands on Italian eggplants, especially the Sicilian variety, though it’s tricky to fin…