Originally from the city of Catania, Pasta alla Norma is a traditional vegetarian pasta dish of the Sicilian cuisine, in Southern Italy. It is made of fried eggplants in rich tomato sauce, topped with basil leaves and sprinkled with grated ricotta salata or parmesan cheese.
This savory sauce is usually served as a first dish with short pasta shape such as rigatoni, which can easily collect the tomato sauce, but it can also be deliciously eaten with spaghetti.