QUICK AND AWESOME PASTA ALLA NORMA

Quick and Awesome Pasta alla Norma image

Very quick to prepare and full of flavor. Great "just back from a long day at work but want to feel like I am on a Mediterranean holiday" recipe. Serve with a fresh salad and crusty bread.

Provided by NP

Time 35m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

2 large eggplants
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
1 large bay leaf
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, or to taste
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 crushed dried red chile pepper
10 medium tomatoes, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Cut eggplants into french fry-sized strips and salt lightly.
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant strips and fry until lightly browned and fully cooked through, turning from time to time, 4 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, bay leaf, and peppercorns to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until spaghetti is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and chile pepper and fry lightly until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until soft but still holding shape, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta and immediately add to cooked tomatoes. Add fried eggplant, feta, and basil. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1079.3 calories, Carbohydrate 118.6 g, Cholesterol 50.5 mg, Fat 56.6 g, Fiber 18.9 g, Protein 29.1 g, SaturatedFat 14.8 g, Sodium 1244.6 mg, Sugar 21.4 g