Rigatoni Alla Norma

Summary

Ingredients

• 350 g riatoni
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion (s), red, cut into small cubes
• 1 clove (s) garlic, finely diced
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 can tomatoes, peeled
• 1 eggplant (s)
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 100 g ricotta salata, matured, if possible made from sheep`s milk, or normal ricotta, rubbed with salt
• 1 handful basil leaves
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Cut the eggplant into 1 cm thick slices. Place this on one side of a cloth and sprinkle with salt. After about 30 minutes, press the slices on well with the other side of the cloth until the aubergine pieces are dry. Do not rub off the salt. Cut the slices into cubes about 1 cm long and turn them in flour. Then fry all over in very hot olive oil and brown a little, degrease immediately on kitchen paper, set aside.
2. Gently fry the onion with the garlic in oil, add the cayenne pepper and fill up with the contents of the tomato can, simmer for 20 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Now add the aubergines and finish cooking.
3. At the same time cook the pasta al dente. Instead of rigatoni, you can also use penne rigate or maccheroni.
4. Grate the ricotta or cut it finely into cubes. Add the rigatoni to the sauce, mix well and now add the ricotta, mix well again. Then distribute on plates and pour basil leaves over them, serve immediately as a primo.
5. Ricotta salata is usually a solid cheese from southern Italy that is matured from sheep`s or cow`s milk and goat lick. If you don`t get this, take normal ricotta, rub the outside with salt and put it in a cloth in the refrigerator for a week. You should check every day whether fluid has leaked out. It has to be removed every time. The liquid should be completely removed before use.
6. The recipe comes from the Sicilian Catania, named after the opera Norma by the composer Bellini, who was born there.