Created with De Cecco
Pasta night at my house is a very important night. Every Sunday, we have a pasta dish, but like to switch up what exactly the dish is. It’s always fun to experiment with new ingredients, with pasta always being the constant.
So it is pretty important for me to use premium pasta, like De Cecco Authentic Italian Dry Pasta. Since 1886, De Cecco has made its pasta in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. The 130-year-old company still uses its original family recipe and high-quality ingredients to create a variety of pasta types.
De Cecco pasta is made with only the best coarse durum semolina, whereas flour is used in most other ordinary pasta brands. This translates into De Cecco being a firmer pasta that doesn’t get mushy or fall apart, even if you overcook it by a minute or two.
This week, I had a hankering for eggplant, so I decided to make Pasta Alla Norma. Pasta Alla Norma is a pasta dish with fried eggplant slices tossed in a chunky tomato sauce. The dish is topped with grated ricotta salata and basil.
Note: Ricotta Salata in America doesn’t pack as much punch as its Italian counterpart. If you can find it, go for an Aged Ricotta Salata. If not, use a bit of grated pecorino Romano along with your Ricotta Salata.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium sized eggplants (look for ones that feel heavy for their size)
- ½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 (28 oz) can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 (16 oz) box De Cecco spaghetti
- ¼ cup thinly sliced basil
- ¼ cup grated ricotta salata
- ¼ cup grated pecorino Romano
- Salt and pepper to taste