How to make
Wash and cut the eggplants into large strips (lengthwise) and put them salted water for 30 minutes. Rinse them, dry them and cut them into cubes.
In a pan, heat a little olive oil and roast the vegetables until they aquire a golden color and then flavor them with one clove of garlic (cut into slices). Do not add the garlic in the beginning, so that it doesn't burn and give off a bitter taste.
For the tomato sauce, chop or slice the remaining two cloves of garlic again. Fry them in 2 tbsp of olive oil until they release their aroma, but not until they darken. Pour the peeled and grinded tomatoes. Season with a pinch of sugar, as much salt as you like, black pepper and half of the leaves of the fresh basil - chopped in bulk.
Cook for 20 minutes on low to medium heat.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta with a spoon of salt. I used mafaldine, but other types of finer and smaller pasta are also suitable. Boil for the minutes indicated on the package and it is best to leave it al dente.
Add a little of the water in which the pasta was cooked to the boiling sauce. It is rich in starch and will thicken it and give it a good texture.
Strain the cooked pasta and mix it with the eggplant cubes. Distribute it into portions and pour tomato sauce over each one. On top of the Pasta alla Norma carelessly add the ricotta and the remaining leaves of shredded fragrant basil.
Serve the Pasta alla Norma straight away, while it's still warm.
Enjoy your meal!
