Italy
Photo: 8w9d, CC0, croppedPasta alla Norma
/ˈpasta alla ˈnɔrma/PAHS-tah AH-lah NOR-mah
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- Taste
- Savory
- Made with
- Wheat & flourVegetablesDairy & cheese
History
Pasta alla Norma is pasta with tomato sauce, fried aubergine, basil and grated ricotta salata. It comes from Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, and is named after Norma, the opera by Vincenzo Bellini, who was born in Catania. The story says that the Catanese writer Nino Martoglio, tasting the dish, called it "a real Norma", meaning a masterpiece; the name is not recorded until decades later, so it may be a legend. Aubergines, brought to Sicily during the period of Arab rule, are central to the island's cooking. In 2018 the dish was named dish of the year at a tourism award in Italy.
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