Perfect Pasta Alla Norma
- 2 pounds small to medium eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 tbls extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup homemade toasted bread crumbs
- 1 pound penne
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
- 10 fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 8-ounce piece of ricotta salata for grating
- 1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add a healthy handful of sea salt. Remember, the salted water should taste like the sea.
- 2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, saute eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- 3. In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place on medium-high heat. Next add bread crumbs and toast in pan until golden brown. Be careful to pay attention to the pan as the bread crumbs can burn quickly. Once toasted, remove from heat, season with salt, and set aside on paper towel to drain.
- 4. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9 by 12 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- 5. Next add penne to the boiling water for 4-6 minutes; they should still be quite firm ("uber" al dente) as they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain very well, place in a large bowl, and toss with 1 cup of the tomato sauce.
- 6. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce. Top with half the bread crumbs, then add half the pasta. Arrange half of the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly, on top of the pasta. Pour about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce over the eggplant, and top with half of the pecorino and half of the basil. Top with the remaining pasta, arrange the remaining eggplant over the pasta, and pour remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with remaining pecorino and basil, and then the remaining bread crumbs. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- 7. Bake for 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Right before serving, grate ricotta salata over the finished dish and enjoy!
eggplant, salt, olive oil, bread crumbs, penne, tomato sauce, freshly grated pecorino romano, basil
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/perfect-pasta-alla-norma-50103226 (may not work)