Reginette alla Norma is a pasta dish made with fried aubergines, tomato and salted ricotta. To me it is all about our trip to Sicily. While there we met primary school friends of mine for a drink. It was an amazing evening and it felt like we had only seen each other yesterday rather than decades ago.
Head straight on to the Recipe For Reginette Alla Norma ♥
When I was in primary school I had a circle of friends that spanned the entire neighbourhood. This circle grew smaller when we went to high school. From one school, we were split into four, and many people were just on the periphery of my life. Then it was off to university and the circle changed again. Some old friends came back in, and some left, and some new ones were made. And for years after that I did not see many of the people I had known most of my life. But then the internet came along, and with it Facebook. Suddenly, the circle of friends became complete again. We could follow along online what was going on in each others’ lives. We shared marriages and births, children and now grandchildren. And it feels like we are all part of each other.
Today’s inspiration ♥ Recipe For Reginette Alla Norma ♥ can be found on Lavender and Lime Click To Tweet
From this I have my own saying “it’s not true until you see it on Facebook”. It is great to know when someone has got engaged, fallen pregnant or achieved something at work. We can share the lives, hopes and dreams of our friends and families. And whereas I am grateful for this contact I am also distressed by it. Some important milestones should be shared with family first, before they are displayed on Facebook. No parent wants to know that their child is engaged because of a status change on Facebook. Or find out their daughter is pregnant because of a photo of baby shoes. No one wants to realize they have been excluded from a family event when photographs are shared. I feel that no matter the relationship you have with your parents they deserve to know first!
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Reginette Alla Norma
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season, plus salt for sprinkling
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 11.25 mls dried herbs for pasta alla Norma, divided *
- 375 mls canola oil
- 30 mls olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 30 mls tomato purée
- 25 bella tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 portion homemade reginette **
- 15 g fresh basil leaves
- 80 g salted ricotta, chopped
Method
- Cut 1 aubergine in half and dice into 3cm cubes
- Place into a colander, sprinkle generously with salt and set aside for 2 hours
- Preheat the oven to 220° Celsius
- Cut the other aubergine in half lengthwise and score the flesh quite deeply into a diamond pattern
- Cut 1 of the garlic cloves thinly and insert the slices into the flesh of the aubergine
- Sprinkle with 1.25mls of the dried herbs and put the aubergine back together
- Wrap in foil and bake in the oven on a baking tray for 45 minutes
- Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, remove the garlic and discard
- Scoop the flesh out of the aubergine and set aside to drain in a colander
- Once cool, chop finely and set aside
- Place the canola oil into a wok and heat to 180° Celsius
- Gently squeeze the excess liquid from the diced aubergine and fry in batches until golden brown
- Set aside on kitchen paper to drain and then pat dry
- Gently heat the olive oil in a large frying pan
- Finely chop the remaining garlic and fry for a couple of minutes - you want to flavour the oil and not colour the garlic
- Add the chopped aubergine flesh and cook for a couple of minutes
- The add the tomato purée, stir to combine and season well
- Add 5mls of the dried herbs and leave to cook
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt and cook the pasta ***
- Add the pasta to the aubergines, together with the tomatoes
- Toss together and leave to cook for 1 minute
- Add the fried aubergine, the fresh basil and the rest of the dried herbs
- Toss again and then add 20g ricotta and some of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce
- Serve, topping with the rest of the ricotta and drizzle with olive oil
Notes
** or 400g penne
*** if using packet pasta cook for a minute less than the instructions
Inspiration published on Lavender and Lime November 12:
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- 2015 – Pickled Onions
- 2014 – The Cake Book
- 2013 – Zopako Bread
- 2012 – The Jolly Cookathon
- 2011 – Something Sweet Challenge
- 2010 – Milk Tart
I don’t need to tell you how delicious this recipe looks Tandy! I love the aubergines…I use those in wreath making!!! They are pretty. And I think it’s wonderful you get together with friends from primary school. Amazing!
Wow, I so want to see your aubergine wreath!
I’ve just eaten two dinners but my mouth started watering when I saw this! 😀
My favourite type of compliment xx
love how cozy this sounds! tender eggplant and melty cheese, mmmm.
It is all about the eggplant 🙂
I moved too many times while growing up to have any contact with people from my (various) schools, but I do love Facebook for the connections made online. I even follow my friends in town! Which is a sad commentary on life as we know it now. But everyone is busy, and my husband and I live in the country and are home bodies. In any case, a wonderful recipe.
I also follow my friends who live just up the road 🙂
Tandy, I can’t agree with you more regarding Facebook. It’s not the best way to learn of a loved one’s serious illness I can assure you. Enough said.
Your Reginette Alla Norma looks amazingly good. We love any pasta Alla Norma and it’s one of the first spring pasta dishes we make and they’re so good made with fresh homemade pasta.
That is not a nice way to find out for sure! I am so glad you love this pasta as much as we do 🙂