Spaghetti alla Norma
You guys, this Spaghetti alla Norma has become one of my absolute favorites to make for my family on a busy weeknight. There is something about a meal that comes together quickly but still feels like a real sit-down dinner, and this one delivers every single time.
Classic Sicilian pasta with roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, and ricotta salata. As a mom who is always juggling everything at once, I need recipes that actually work — no complicated techniques, no ingredients I have to hunt down. Just good, real food that my whole family loves.
Why You’ll Love This Spaghetti alla Norma
- Ready in about 15 minutes — totally doable on a weeknight
- Big flavor with simple pantry ingredients
- The whole family eats it without complaint (huge win!)
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day
My go-to kitchen tool for this one: pasta pot — I use mine constantly.
Also super helpful to have a good sheet pan on hand.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti
- Eggplant
- Crushed tomatoes
- Ricotta salata
- Garlic
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
How to Make It
Before I turn on the stove, I get everything prepped and ready. Chop your vegetables, measure out your spices, and have everything within reach. It makes the whole cooking process so much smoother, especially when little ones are around.
Then follow the full recipe card below for step-by-step instructions, exact amounts, and timing. I have tested this enough times to get it just right, and the recipe card has a print button if you like to keep a hard copy on the counter like I do.
A quick note: taste as you go, do not rush the process, and trust that it is all going to come together beautifully. Cooking at home is such a gift.
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Spaghetti alla Norma
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the eggplant cubes with 1 tablespoon salt in a colander and let them drain for 20 minutes, then pat them dry.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Fry the eggplant in batches for 6 to 8 minutes, until deeply golden, then move it to a paper towel lined plate.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the same pan. Cook 1 minute, just until the garlic turns pale gold.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and simmer 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and darkens.
- Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in well salted water until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain.
- Fold the eggplant and pasta into the sauce, loosening with a splash of pasta water until everything is glossy. Off the heat, stir through most of the basil.
- Top each bowl with grated ricotta salata and the rest of the basil.
