There is a gastronomic melody in Catania’s home cooking that can make the strings of the palate vibrate: pasta alla norma. Created as a culinary homage to the work of the famous composer Vincenzo Bellini, this Catanese speciality embodies the essence of Sicilian cuisine. A pentagram of flavours in which every note is in perfect harmony: fresh tomato sauce, fried aubergines, cloves of garlic and the scent of basil to complete the melody. But the real musical crescendo? A cascade of salty ricotta cheese. And finally, the curtain closes with one of Settesoli’s wines.
Dice the aubergines and sprinkle with fine salt. Leave to stand for about 20 minutes to remove superfluous water.
Heat plenty of oil in a large frying pan. Fry the aubergine cubes until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
In a frying pan, sauté the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil.
Add the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni al dente for the time indicated on the packet.
Drain the pasta and pour it directly into the frying pan with the sauce. Add the fried aubergines and mix everything together.
Serve the pasta alla norma with fresh basil leaves and a generous sprinkling of salted ricotta.
Un blend corposo come il Nero d'Avola esalta perfettamente i sapori intensi del pomodoro, melanzane e ricotta salata con le sue note calde di marasca matura e prugna.
Nero d’Avola knows well its own land. It has a strong character and an irresistible…
