Spaghetti alla Norma | Jamie Oliver spaghetti recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is pasta alla Norma made of? ›

Originally from Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Pasta alla Norma is a delicious Sicilian pasta made with tender eggplant and tossed in a herby tomato sauce and a sprinkle of ricotta salata cheese. This eggplant pasta recipe makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner that even meat lovers enjoy!

The name Pasta alla Norma is said to have originated from the cry of joy and approval that people cannot repress after they eat this Sicilian specialty: “This pasta is a NORMA!” meaning a masterpiece.

The most popular way to cook spaghetti is simple. Put the pasta into plenty of boiling water, stir it, bring it to a simmer, turn the heat off, put a lid on and leave it to finish cooking for 10-12 mins. This method works perfectly fine.

Pasta alla norma is a celebrated dish from Catania that they say got its name from the opera by Vincenzo Bellini: “Chista è 'na vera Norma!”, meaning, “This is a real Norma (i.e.: masterpiece)”, is what the famous Catanese comedy writer Nino Martoglio exclaimed when he tasted it.

In some cases, like "pasta alle vongole", "pasta alla salsiccia" it just means "with" (so it's translated "pasta with clams", "pasta with sausage"), in other cases it refers to a style of cooking, sometimes it's about a place (pasta all'amatriciana means "pasta in the way they make it in the city of Amatrice", "alla ...

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

Norma is a girl's name of Latin origin. Translating to “the standard” or “the norm,” this classic name is anything but boring. Along with its Latin roots, Norma has a history in Germanic and Romance culture. Being the feminine equivalent of the name Norman, it also translates to “Norsewoman”—ideal for fans of Vikings.

Norma is a female name. It is of Germanic and Romance origin. A single instance of the name Norma is recorded 1203, where it perhaps derives from the Latin word norma, meaning "precept".

As a general rule of thumb, use 3-4 quarts of water & 1-1 1/2 tablespoons salt per pound of pasta. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Just before draining, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside – do not rinse the pasta.

Cooking pasta in the sauce instead of in boiling water will increase the amount of time it takes to cook through. It's a good technique to use if you want to delay serving your pasta for a few minutes. Make sure to keep the sauce thinned out with pasta water as the pasta finishes cooking if you use this method.

Why is pasta alla vodka so good? ›

Wine works, too, but a clean-tasting vodka has mostly water and ethanol (a solvent), which is excellent at carrying aromatic compounds — like those in tomatoes. In other words, the vodka in this dish can help you smell, and in turn taste, the sauce's flavors in a heightened way.

Here, we take a deeper dive into the history of this intriguing dish. The story of Pasta alla Norma originates from Catania, a bustling port city on the east coast of Sicily, which is also the birthplace of the renowned 19th-century composer Vincenzo Bellini.

In a vodka sauce, the vodka helps maintain a cohesive texture, allowing the creaminess to meld with the tomato base. And sure, you could use wine to the same effect, but in a sauce as rich as vodka sauce, it's better to use a small amount of alcohol that will impart as little of its own flavor as possible.

Carbonara is made with guanciale (cured pork), eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, spaghetti pasta, and lots of black pepper. Italians don't add extra ingredients like cream, milk, garlic, or onions.