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Pasta alla norma recipe

Pasta alla norma recipe

4 ratings

This vegetarian Sicilian pasta dish is beautifully simple and contains 2 of your 5-a-day. Chunks of fried aubergine are stirred through a rich tomato sauce flavoured with capers, garlic and oregano. See method

  • Serves 4
  • 15 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook, plus salting time
  • 518 calories / serving
  • Healthy
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large aubergines, cut into 2cm chunks
  • 3 tbsp olive oil​
  • 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • pinch of crushed chillies (optional)
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée​
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 400g dried rigatoni or penne
  • 10g fresh basil leaves, to serve
  • 10g pecorino, to serve
If you don't have chopped tomatoes, chop up a tin of plum tomatoes instead

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2180kj
    518kcal     26%

  • Fat

    14g 19%

  • Saturates

    2g 12%

  • Sugars

    10g 12%

  • Salt

    0.9g 14%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 78.1g Protein 16.5g Fibre 8.6g

Method

  1. Rub the salt into the aubergine chunks and put in a colander for 30 mins to drain out any bitter juices. Rinse off the salt and dry well with kitchen paper.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the aubergines in 2 batches for about 8 mins, turning every few mins to brown evenly, until softened. Set aside.
  3. Pat dry the capers with kitchen paper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan on a medium heat and fry the garlic, capers and crushed chillies, if using, for 2 mins. Add the tomato purée, cook for 1 min more, then stir in the tinned tomatoes and oregano. Fill the tomato tin halfway with tap water (about 150ml) and add this to the sauce. Stir in the aubergine chunks. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins with the lid off to thicken slightly.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to pack instructions.
  5. Drain the pasta (don't rinse off all the water, the starch will help the sauce stick to the pasta) and toss it into the tomato sauce in the frying pan.
  6. To serve, divide the pasta between the dishes and top with the basil leaves and cheese.

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