Pasta alla Norma is a vegetarian pasta dish originating from the Italian island of Sicily. The pasta that is used to make this dish is macaroni, but it isn’t the typical “elbow” noodle that you find in the U.S. Rather, the macaroni noodle in Italy is short and fat with a wide hole in the middle. Mixed in with the macaroni pasta is the star of Pasta alla Norma: eggplant. The eggplant and pasta is topped with a tomato-based sauced, ricotta cheese and fresh basil. This Sicilian specialty can be found across Italy, like other Sicilian favorites, such as cannoli and arancini.
