Talking about pasta alla Norma and feeling immersed in the deep heart of Sicily are one and the same. But it is not just a gastronomic fact because at the origin of this luxurious dish with typically Mediterranean flavors, the flag of Catania cuisine, according to the most accredited version, there would be the happy expression of the Sicilian playwright Nino Martoglio who, in front of a plate of macaroni, seasoned with tomato and the addition of fried aubergines, salted ricotta and basil he would have exclaimed “It's a Norma!”, indicating its supreme goodness, comparing it to the famous work of Vincenzo Bellini. He himself attributes to this dish a strong and proud Catanese, gastronomic and cultural identity, to the point that a "National Pasta alla Norma Day" has also been dedicated to it, which falls on 23 September. Not to forget that the aubergine, its main ingredient, originally from India, and introduced with the Arab domination of the XNUMXth century, has become strongly rooted in the island's gastronomic tradition in the historic preparations of caponata and parmigiana, but also grilled, fried , baked, sautéed; breaded for the famous Palermo aubergine cutlets; minced for meatballs; rolled in rolls with sauce, ham and cheese; filled with anchovies, caciocavallo and mint; braised in a sweet and sour sauce.
In short, whether you call it pasta alla norma, pasta cu sucu di mulinciani, pasta ca sassa e mulinciani or pasta câ Norma, we are faced with one of the supreme Sicilian culinary traditions that today appears in restaurants all over the world.
It therefore takes a great deal of courage to try this Sicilian-identifying dish and give it a fine dining appearance, departing from tradition without arousing the ire of purists.
Lorenzo Cantoni, classy, 36 years old from Umbertide (Perugia), from the Il Frantoio restaurant in Assisi, tried it with very happy and convincing results. Ambassador of taste, best Airo chef 2021, Experience of the Year Award in the Food Community Awards 2023, recently entered into the Michelin Guide, described in the Gambero Rosso Guide as a chef who "puts his foot on the accelerator on any challenge that comes his way front”, Lorenzo Cantoni explains his choice thus: “my version of pasta alla norma born within a culinary project dedicated to the gastronomic traditions of the Italian regions in dialogue with that of Umbria, is a tasty homage to the splendid Sicily. A dish that celebrates the authentic flavors of the island through a combination of simple but very intense ingredients. Ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and basil are the basic elements that give a strong aroma to the protagonist of this dish: the aubergine. A culinary journey that takes you directly into the picturesque streets of Sicily, which tells of a land rich in history even in the kitchen. But also a hymn to the simplicity and goodness of Mediterranean ingredients, an authentic harmony of flavours, just like the notes of the composer Vincenzo Bellini, which inspired his creation".
As can be seen from his words in the cuisine of Lorenzo Cantoni, who, thanks to important experiences in Italy and abroad, in France, Belgium and Holland, has already turned a lot of spotlight on himself, there is the ability to capture the flavors of the territory without mediation. And from the Umbrian territory he has been able to grasp the most intimate and natural essence of oil, which for him is not a condiment but a protagonist, an actor who dialogues and exalts the raw material, underlines and unravels its internal values. Because for Lorenzo Cantoni a strong adherence to "tradition, culture and the protection of biodiversity" is a must and this leads him to explore, as in this case, other gastronomic territories in search of a common language that enhances traditions, history and culture of culinary localism. A real religion that Cantoni uses in his kitchen using exclusively ingredients that come from the synergistic and sustainable vegetable garden that the chef created with an agricultural company because, as he likes to say, "all the taste and flavor of vegetables grown in absolute naturalness, respecting the times and balances of cultivation make the difference".
To prepare this dish, the dough is kneaded with a flour of roasted cherry tomatoes, made with the waste peel of cherry tomatoes and basil powder. Thin slices of aubergines fried in extra virgin olive oil, salted ricotta mayonnaise and tomato cream are inserted between one sheet of pasta and another. To finish, fresh basil, marigold petals and a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
Pasta alla norma recipe revisited by Lorenzo Cantoni
Ingredients
For pasta:
500 0 grams of flour
10 yolks
100 g of tomato powder
Salt to taste
For the roasted tomato sauce:
500 gr of cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil qb
3 g of xanthan gum
salt and pepper to taste
For the savory ricotta sauce:
200 grams of cream
200 gr of milk
150g of salted ricotta
100 grams of parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
For finishing:
Fried aubergines
fresh salted ricotta
Method
As a first step, prepare the dough, perhaps with a planetary mixer and mix flour, eggs and tomato powder. The latter is obtained from tomatoes previously roasted in the oven with basil and oil, then dried and chopped. Roll out the dough creating very thin rectangles. Then move on to preparing the tomato sauce: cut the cherry tomatoes and roast them in a pan with a drizzle of oil, basil and salt. Once cooked, let it cool a little and blend, making the sauce as smooth as possible. Then add the xanthan gum, continuing to blend, so as to thicken the tomato sauce. For the ricotta one, however, mix the milk and cream in a saucepan and then add everything to the salted ricotta, with the heat off, adding parmesan and salt. Mix with a whisk until you obtain a smooth and thick sauce. Finally, fry the aubergines cut as thinly as possible. To conclude, boil the rectangles of pasta and assemble the Norma as if it were a lasagna, starting from the bottom of the plate with the two sauces, then adding a layer of pasta, the two sauces and the aubergines. You need at least three layers of pasta and then finish with a grating of salted ricotta as in the classic pasta alla Norma.
