Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant pasta)

1. Wine – excellent way to elevate simple quick simmer sauces like this, adds depth of flavour. You can’t taste the wine and the alcohol is cooked out.Omit if you can’t consume alcohol.

I use sauvignon blanc and pinot gris as they are my standard drinking wines. You do NOT need to use an expensive wine, you can’t tell the difference. I like to pick up bargain bottles when I see them at the liquor store for cooking purposes only. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays then once frozen, in containers in the freezer – for easy use going forward.

2. Tomato passata – pureed, strained tomatoes, sometimes labelled Tomato Puree in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti brand Tomato Passata sold at Walmart). Readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces.Smooth and thick ratherthan chunky like canned tomato, so no need to simmer to break down the tomato.

Crushed canned tomato can be used instead, but simmer sauce for 20 minutes to soften the tomato (adjust pasta cooking time start too, accordingly).

3. Fresh basil is a key element of traditional Pasta alla Norma. However if you don’t have it, you can compensate by adding other herby flavours such as:

1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves – this is really good, it’s my favourite when I don’t have basil! 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano – extra, added into the sauce

4. Making ahead / reheating:Toss eggplant in sauce then cool and use as needed. For reheating pasta already in sauce, this pasta reheats better than most because it’s quite saucy from the Tomato Passata. Just reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes on high (for 1 serving), using water as needed to loosen.