Receta Italy - Pasta Alla Norma (Pasta in Spicy Eggplant & Tomato Sauce)
BM# 44: A-Z Cooking Series -- Around the World in 30 days
Country: I for Italy
Dish: Pasta Alla Norma (Pasta in Spicy Eggplant & Tomato Sauce)
We are going back to Europe, to Italy today. Italy seemed an obvious choice and my son thinks he's half Italian because his favorite foods are pizza and pasta. But come to think of it, I like Italian food too. What's not to like about pasta, cheese and pizza.
Italy also is on my bucket list not just to enjoy the local food but also to tour the beautiful, historic and touristic places. Many hollywood movies are shot in Italy, I especially remember the beautiful locations in George Clooney's 'The American' movie. Lot of Indian movies have shown us Venice, making it a definite stop in Italy while we are there. Oh, how I wish, my dreams can come true.
Italian cuisine is characterized by its simplicity with many dishes having only 4~8 ingredients. Italian cooks rely on fresh, quality ingredients rather than elaborate preparation. Ingredients and dishes vary by region. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine.
I decided to make a typical pasta dish from Italy today. 'Pasta Alla Norma' is a classic Sicilian dish from Catania, an Italian city. It's made with tomatoes, fried eggplant and ricotta salata cheese. As an eggplant lover, I had this dish on my to-make list for a very very long time and finally this is the time to try it out.
I wasn't disappointed a bit. This is a very simple pasta dish that packs a lot of flavor and tastes absolutely amazing.
Recipe adapted New York Times.