Il Cucinologo
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Lasagne alla Norma

17/11/2023

Lasagne alla Norma are a splendid Italian-style variation of a classic dish, blending traditional lasagna with the flavors and ingredients typical of Pasta alla Norma, a culinary homage to Sicily.

Here are the main ingredients you will need to prepare Lasagne alla Norma:

Ingredients

  • Egg lasagne (fresh or dry to be pre-boiled according to the package instructions)
  • Eggplants (about 2 large)
  • Peeled tomatoes or tomato passata (about 400 g)
  • Salted ricotta (to grate on top)
  • Fresh basil
  • Garlic (1-2 cloves)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Oil for frying the eggplants
  • (Optional) Buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte

Preparation

  1. Start by washing and cutting the eggplants into slices, then place them on a surface with coarse salt for about an hour to make them lose their bitterness. After letting them rest, rinse and dry them very well.

  2. Fry the eggplants in plenty of hot oil until golden and then let them drain and cool on absorbent paper.

  3. While the eggplants cool, in a pan lightly sauté the garlic in extra virgin olive oil, then add the tomato passata, salt, pepper and let cook for about 15-20 minutes. At the end of cooking, add the basil leaves torn by hand.

  4. Prepare a lasagna pan by greasing the bottom with a drizzle of oil and a light layer of sauce. Place the first layer of lasagna pasta, then cover with more sauce, add the eggplant slices and sprinkle with grated salted ricotta.

  5. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are used up, finishing with sauce and a generous sprinkling of salted ricotta (and mozzarella cut into cubes if you decide to use it).

  6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30-40 minutes, or until the surface of the lasagne is gratinated and golden to your liking.

  7. Let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the various layers to “stabilize”, making it easier to cut and distribute the portions.

Trivia

The name “alla Norma” derives from the opera by the Catanese composer Vincenzo Bellini, since the dish originated in Sicily. The original dish, Pasta alla Norma, typically involves the use of short pasta like penne, but in the lasagna version it is possible to enjoy the same flavors in a different and equally delicious form. Salted ricotta, which is another typical ingredient of Sicilian cuisine, contributes to giving the dish its characteristic salty flavor.