Pasta alla norma is a classic Sicilian pasta made with eggplant and tomato sauce finished with lots of basil and parmesan. It’s one of those simple Italian dishes that delivers big flavor with minimal ingredients. This version keeps the heart of the traditional recipe but adds a couple of small twists, roasting the eggplant for better texture and boosting the sauce with roasted red peppers. It’s a rich, comforting vegetarian pasta that feels a little bit special.
Hi! I can’t believe I didn’t already have an eggplant pasta on my site, but better late than never because this one is so worth it. Eggplant (or aubergine) can seem intimidating to use but I promise, it's really easy. It soaks up flavours and sauces so well and amps up a vegetarian pasta sauce to make it a filling main dish.
Pasta Alla Norma is such a classic pasta dish and there are a lot of recipes around so I wanted to put my own spin on it. Jarred red peppers are always my secret weapon, they have a smoky flavor that is perfect when blended into a sauce. You could roast your own but I'm all about ease for this one.
Ingredients:
Eggplant - I use one medium eggplant, cut into cubes and roasted until golden. It shrinks a lot as it cooks, so use two if you want it extra eggplant heavy. See notes below on salting.
Garlic - Fresh cloves always for the best flavor.
Canned tomatoes - If you can find San Marzano tomatoes, they’re ideal. Anything from Italy is usually a safe bet. I always recommend using whole tomatoes and crushing them yourself rather than buying pre-chopped.
Jarred roasted red peppers - I use three whole peppers. If the brine is very salty, give them a quick rinse. You can roast your own, but jarred keeps things easy.
Olives - Optional, but I love the salty pop they add to the sauce. Use pitted for ease.
Fresh basil leaves - Essential for finishing. Toss through right at the end as it discolors quickly.
Dried Italian herbs - Adds a subtle extra layer of flavor to the sauce.
Honey - A small amount helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Totally optional.
Do you need to salt the eggplant?
Salting eggplant used to be essential to draw out bitterness, but with modern varieties it’s usually not necessary unless the eggplant is very large.
I still like to salt it as it draws out excess moisture, helps it absorb less oil and gives a better texture when roasted. That said, if you’re short on time you can skip this step.
To salt, sprinkle the cubes with salt and leave for 20 minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.
How to make pasta alla norma
The full ingredient list and detailed method are in the recipe card below.
First steps: Cook your pasta in well salted water (see notes below on that!) once the tomato sauce is cooking. Blitz the tomatoes and red peppers together in a food processor (or with a stick blender).
ONE: Drizzle the eggplant with olive oil and roast on a lined sheet pan until golden and tender, about 25 minutes.
TWO: In a large frying pan, gently cook the garlic in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute, until fragrant.
THREE: Add the tomato and red pepper mixture and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the dried herbs, honey, black pepper and a good pinch of salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.
FOUR: Add your cooked pasta and the olives with a splash of pasta water and let it gently bubble away for a couple of minutes.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
FIVE: Carefully fold through the roasted eggplant.
SIX: Finish with fresh basil and serve with plenty of finely grated parmesan or pecorino.
Expert tips
- Salting the eggplant - Not essential, but it helps draw out moisture so the eggplant absorbs less oil and roasts up slightly crispier.
- Undercook dried pasta by a minute from packet instructions so it can finish cooking in the sauce and still be al dente. Check out my guide for cooking the perfect pasta.
- Try and find really good quality canned tomatoes. This is a simple sauce, so quality really matters. Use whole peeled tomatoes rather than chopped, and go for Italian tomatoes, San Marzano if you can.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Frying is the more traditional method. Cook the eggplant in olive oil until golden, then drain on paper towels before adding to the sauce. Roasting is an easier, lighter option that uses less oil, but both work well.
Yes! It is such a fantastic option and delicious sauce to make for anyone following a plant based diet. Just skip any parmesan on top.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. This isn't a great one to freeze as eggplant can get a little mushy.
More tomato pasta recipes
If you loved this eggplant pasta then check out my recipe section for all kinds of pasta recipes. I have a 10 Best Tomato Pasta Recipes round up or here are three suggestions to try next time.
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
Pasta Alla Norma (Classic Sicilian Eggplant Pasta)
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 350 grams pasta
- 1 medium eggplant (about 300-400 grams), cubed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped/minced
- 2 400 gram cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 roasted red peppers (from a jar)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon honey optional
- 100 grams olives drained
- Salt to taste
- Parmesan to serve
- Handful fresh basil leaves to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper
- See notes below about salting the eggplant. It's up to you and is great either way.
- Drizzle the eggplant with 1.5 tablespoons olive oil and toss well. Season with salt and black pepper (skip the salt if you have already salted the eggplant)
- Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden, tossing half way through.
- In the mean time make the tomato sauce and cook your pasta.
- Blitz the tomatoes and red peppers together in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant
- Add the tomato mixture and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the black pepper, a good pinch of salt, the honey, Italian herbs and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook your pasta during this time.
- Add the cooked pasta in with a splash of pasta water and toss well and then let it gently bubble for a 1-2 minutes.
- Add the roasted eggplant cubes and toss through very gently.
- Serve with a mountain of freshly grated parmesan and lots of fresh basil leaves.
Video
Notes
Hi, I'm Emilie
I've spent years testing pasta doughs, sauces, and weeknight favorites so you don't have to. Everything on The Burnt Butter Table is designed to be simple, comforting, and unbelievably delicious.
Morgane says
The only thing my toddler hasn’t thrown on the floor this week AND proceeded to eat saying MMMH.
I think that says it all.
Quick, easy, delicious, what’s not to love! Added a bit of pancetta for the protein obsessed husband, and we all said MMMH.
Emilie Pullar says
hahaha this made me laugh so much. It's always an extra win for me when people say their kids liked it! 🙂
Jenn says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for creating these veggie forward recipes. I had to skip the roasted peppers as we’ve an allergy but I did mix in roasted zucchini and topped off with nutritional yeast and of course parmesan at the end as the instructions noted-so yum! As always instructions are a breeze to follow and I’m loving the photos with labels and extra notes at the end! Thank you Emilie!
Anna says
Soooo delicious!!! I’m more of a creamy pasta fan but this won me over
Emilie Pullar says
I am too!! This is actually a tomato sauce I love haha 🙂
Amy Selby says
So so so delicious! Loved the smokey flavour the roasted peppers added to the sauce, it was a simple but perfect flavour combo. The instructions were easy to follow and it was quick enough to make that I will add it to my weeknight cooking rotation. Plus all the ingredients were super affordable!
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much Amy!! So glad you loved and thank you so so much for making x