Dude, I love everything about your videos. The food you make looks incredible, That New York accent is great and the laid-back presentation you use to teach is fantastic. keep up the good work.
As an Italian, this is why I think this man has the greatest cooking channel for Italian food. The reason? He has factual KNOWLEDGE of Italian cooking, he goes by the books or if he doesn't, he clarifies what is the traditional way in Italy. Differentiating between different Italian tomato sauces, understanding the differences, clarifying to people. I literally can't think of anyone else (outside of Italy) who does this. You are a cooking national treasure, for those wishing to re create and become masters in traditional and authentic Italian cooking.
I agree so much. I am not Italian (but I am from your neighbor-country in the north, so I have been to Italy plenty of times) and when cooking his recipes it just tastes like I am on vacation :)
My favorite for Italian food is pasta grammar. ruclips.net/user/PastaGrammar These channels are also great for Italian cooking. ruclips.net/user/BuonAPetitti ruclips.net/user/italiasquisita ruclips.net/user/pastagrannies123 Thought all of them feature Italians that grew up in Italy and with the local food culture. And as a non italian this channels series on the Roman pastas was a great help when I learned to cook them myself.
I've been roasting eggplant for years. It's one of my fav veggies. I make what I call eggplant cassoulet. Basically roasted eggplant layered over spinach mushrooms fresh tomatoes and cheeses all baked. Any number of things can be added ie sausage and even served over pasta. Yummy.
This is one of my favorite pasta my mom in Italy makes 😁 My dad grows eggplants in our family field so it's quite common, along with 'melanzane alla parmigiana'. My mom stir fries them with soffritto, but make sure you drain them with salt and some weight first for few hours.
I always salt the aubergines, but really if baking in the oven it's not strictly necessary as they dry out anyway. But salting means they take less time to cook.
Hey, this recipe is from my hometown, Catania, in Sicily. I just wanted to note a few things: - the aubergine is traditionally fried. I guess putting it in the oven with that much oil achieves a similar result. A tip to help with the flavor: cover the aubergines in coarse salt, put them in a draining bowl and put a weight on them for 20 to 30 minutes to expel their internal water which causes the bitter taste. Then rinse the aubergines, pat them dry with a clean cloth and salt them for cooking. Be sure to dry them well because hot oil reacts to the water. - not everyone uses garlic in the sauce for this recipe, but if you do I would recommend putting the clove whole or cut in half and removing it at the end, so that the garlic flavour is not too overpowering. - I would personally avoid adding butter, it's really not something that fits in terms of flavour. If the tomato sauce is sour try adding a tiny bit of sugar (like a third of a teaspoon for 2 portions). :)
I am also Italian. I never try to use the oven and I usually fry aubergines too. Maybe, using the oven makes it simpler to control the cooking, I do not know, but I think you made a very important point about salting and putting the weight on. I was about to write about it, but you came first.
He literally says “traditionally the eggplant is fried in oil” then he explains why he is oven roasting instead (less oil) the first half of your comment is completely redundant
Like you said if you fry the EP it becomes soggy and you have an excess of oil. The secret is to dry them first: you put a decent amount of salt on the EP and let them rest for a few hours with a weight on them so they lose water and bitterness and when you fry them they become crispy.
In order to avoid that the eggplant gets soaked with oil, it is important to put them when the oil is at a temperature of about 170 degrees Celsius. Controlling the temperature is not easy though, since the specific heat of oil is very low, which means that the temperature can drop significantly when you add aubergines and increase fast if you increase the thermal power. Salting and adding a weight is important, but I think the point of this procedure is to remove the bitter taste, not to prevent them from being soggy.
Great recipe. Love how you keep it practical. I switched over to using Chinese eggplant as it is sweeter and it does make a big difference in taste! Especially when oven roasted or sauteed.
I made something close to this accidentally after realizing how delicious eggplant was last summer. Growing up on Long Island eggplant was usually presented as a soggy and gross alternative to chicken parm, but after learning more they’ve become my favorite vegetable. Giving this a shot for sure!
facto growing up in LI my mom used to make eggplant and I was so grossed out; tried some eggplant recipes within the past month and I can say that I am a big fan of how low cost and high use they are! This recipe looks great
There was a pizza joint in my hometown of Jacksonville FL that had fried eggplant planks as a pizza topping. Freaking delicious. I really miss that place. Glad you came to have this yummy veg served in a way you love!
Yes! I think the size of the eggplant pieces is so important. Chef, you really conceptualize what eggplant Norma offers us as a dish. Roasting is such a better way to go. I also love how you add some of the eggplant at the end, so it contributes to presentation, and truly contrasts with the sauce. A simple dish, but a master class of what addition by subtraction means in Italian cuisine.
The g in tortiglioni is actually silent I would use the oil from the egg plants to make the sauce .. needs to drip drain to remove excess , it’s melanzane as opposed to zucchini But hey , nice work ! I like this one
I've experienced and cooked this dish in many forms while either working in or eating at many restaurants. Some very successful, others mundane, some just plain bad. This version is among the absolute best. Excellent ingredients and attention to detail are the foundations of good cooking. This version exemplifies both.
One trick I learned a while ago when roasting vegetables is to put the sheet pan in the oven while it preheats. Adding the oiled vegetables to the piping hot sheet pan starts the cooking process immediately. No more sogginess.
Great idea for using eggplant without salting and draining it. On my bucket list. As for the sauce, I use organic tomato paste to thicken it before adding the canned plum tomatoes......just made my signature homemade sauce yesterday, and it's "thick and zesty", as they used to say in the ads. Props to your sponsor for this video, there are so many folks I know who could benefit from their service these days.
Definitely look for ones that are relatively small so you don't get a lot of big seeds inside. You should also pick an eggplant that has a shiny, clean-looking exterior. If the skin is splotchy then it's no bueno. Last tip: get one that's nice and firm and you're good to go!
Look at the base. Observe the “navel” or whatever that dot is called. Some are irregular, lopsided, oblong, round. Choose the ones that have a small, perfectly round dot. They have less seeds and you won’t even need to leave them in salt because they aren’t as bitter as the other ones.
When you carry it, it should be light. The lighter it is the fresher it is. The more heavy it is, means it has more/bigger seeds, so it's not very fresh.
Dude, i only watch your videos up until recently but you have quickly become my favorite cooking channel on youtube. I just love your cut the bullshit approach, keep up the good work, your way of doing cooking content really stands out.
Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes. They never disappoint. I have been a sugar addict and after eating your recipes, my sweet tooth has majorly reduced. Thank you so much!
I do this with eggplant and mushroom. Toss them in olive oil in a large bowl with seasoning and roast them in the oven while the sauce simmers. So simple, so amazing.
I’m on vacation in Rome and Naples this week. Will have to seek this out so I can have a reference when I get home! I haven’t heard of this before today
As the story goes, a Sicilian chef attended the opera “Norma“. He was so impressed by the performance that he went home and created this dish to honor the author, Sicilian composer, Vincenzo Bellini. Hence the name of the dish, “Norma“
The eggplant is piece of art it was realyy neccery for alot of hungry people back in the old days. It looks like a life saver and very taste at the same time
Thanks for posting this; I was looking for a vegan eggplant pasta dish, but I think I can find a good enough vegan version of ricotta salata to make it work. And the stars are the roasted eggplant and the pasta anyway. This looks great!
Gonna try this for lunch. I work in a Greek restaurant, so will be using the Feta that we already have. We also have eggplant, which we use in Musaka and Melitzanosalata or eggplant dip. The sauce will be reduced Plaki sauce, and I might use some kalamata olives (just sayin’). Thanks for the lunch idea…
Your show inspired me to try my hand at cooking! I know very little but made something edible for me and me girl and that made me super happy, will try to keep at it!
my gf told me the chef im watching looks like an addict. I told her, i dont care he cooks incredible food! hahaha and I might look like him balancing work and teaching a bunch of people in youtube someday😅
My relatives from Palermo make tomato sauce with onion, but not fried onion: they add water and soften them like that. Then they add the tomato (and a little sugar, if necessary) and the basil. They fry the aubergines, but only after soaking them in salted water and then rinsing them, squeezing the water out and patting them dry (unless they're using a different kind of aubergine, often called 'melenzane tunisine', which don't have to be soaked).
To Everyone who sees this comment: Keep pushing in life and just never give up! You are a wonderful person, you can achieve everything you want, God may bless you.🥰🥰🥰
This pasta recipe has been our absolute favourite since I found it on your channel. It is so tasty that I dpn't want to make pasta any other way anymore! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
Pasta alla Norma is one of my favourite Italian dishes, named after Bellini's opera. It's also great as a Pizza Norma: fried eggplant with ricotta salata (feta works fine if you can't get it).
I absolutely love your videos. My mouth waters when I see you cook. You are very detailed in explaining what you're doing and you make it look easy 😁😁👍👍👍
I ate that dish on sicilia in the city of messina in the Trattoria al Padrino, it was a blast. Really love these types of food, especially pasta! :* Thx for sharing!
Can't say I love the lower case letters. It looked more professional with the upper case letters and now others are copying you. I love everything you do.
last time i was in italy this was my go to pasta for a while, of course until I found a shop selling some ammaaazing Pici all'Aglione muah *chefs kiss*
If I said zucchini, it was a mistake. my bad 😬
Your Italian cooking is perfect, you just need to improve your pronunciation now! :)
@@Xenio2007 as a New Yorker, we take that personal...
@@sellingwolftickets5025 😂😂😂
Dude, I love everything about your videos. The food you make looks incredible, That New York accent is great and the laid-back presentation you use to teach is fantastic. keep up the good work.
I thought they used a goat cheese made from the whey?
As an Italian, this is why I think this man has the greatest cooking channel for Italian food.
The reason? He has factual KNOWLEDGE of Italian cooking, he goes by the books or if he doesn't, he clarifies what is the traditional way in Italy. Differentiating between different Italian tomato sauces, understanding the differences, clarifying to people.
I literally can't think of anyone else (outside of Italy) who does this.
You are a cooking national treasure, for those wishing to re create and become masters in traditional and authentic Italian cooking.
I agree so much. I am not Italian (but I am from your neighbor-country in the north, so I have been to Italy plenty of times) and when cooking his recipes it just tastes like I am on vacation :)
When it comes to Italian food I trust this channel as well as Vincenzo‘s plate
My favorite for Italian food is pasta grammar.
ruclips.net/user/PastaGrammar
These channels are also great for Italian cooking.
ruclips.net/user/BuonAPetitti
ruclips.net/user/italiasquisita
ruclips.net/user/pastagrannies123
Thought all of them feature Italians that grew up in Italy and with the local food culture.
And as a non italian this channels series on the Roman pastas was a great help when I learned to cook them myself.
"As an Italian that doesn't speak Italian, I'm fourth generation Italian"..... Stfu.
È molto bravo, però io non ho mai visto fare la Norma con le melanzane cotte nel forno sinceramente!
Such a simple dish but made with such UNDERSTANDING of the ingredients...this is how cooking should be.
Trust me, Norma is the opposite of simple to do it right!
@@asafa36363636I believe so too.. wonder how the authentic dish tastes like 🤔
I've been roasting eggplant for years. It's one of my fav veggies. I make what I call eggplant cassoulet. Basically roasted eggplant layered over spinach mushrooms fresh tomatoes and cheeses all baked. Any number of things can be added ie sausage and even served over pasta. Yummy.
Your style of cooking is great. Reminds me of hanging out with my grandparents on a Sunday.
This is one of my favorite pasta my mom in Italy makes 😁
My dad grows eggplants in our family field so it's quite common, along with 'melanzane alla parmigiana'.
My mom stir fries them with soffritto, but make sure you drain them with salt and some weight first for few hours.
Melanzane alla parmigiana 🤤
I always salt the aubergines, but really if baking in the oven it's not strictly necessary as they dry out anyway. But salting means they take less time to cook.
Hey, this recipe is from my hometown, Catania, in Sicily. I just wanted to note a few things:
- the aubergine is traditionally fried. I guess putting it in the oven with that much oil achieves a similar result. A tip to help with the flavor: cover the aubergines in coarse salt, put them in a draining bowl and put a weight on them for 20 to 30 minutes to expel their internal water which causes the bitter taste. Then rinse the aubergines, pat them dry with a clean cloth and salt them for cooking. Be sure to dry them well because hot oil reacts to the water.
- not everyone uses garlic in the sauce for this recipe, but if you do I would recommend putting the clove whole or cut in half and removing it at the end, so that the garlic flavour is not too overpowering.
- I would personally avoid adding butter, it's really not something that fits in terms of flavour. If the tomato sauce is sour try adding a tiny bit of sugar (like a third of a teaspoon for 2 portions).
:)
I am also Italian. I never try to use the oven and I usually fry aubergines too. Maybe, using the oven makes it simpler to control the cooking, I do not know, but I think you made a very important point about salting and putting the weight on. I was about to write about it, but you came first.
@@frankfurter7260, this is a good point. I think the cooking style needs to be adapted to the chemical properties of the food you cook.
He literally says “traditionally the eggplant is fried in oil” then he explains why he is oven roasting instead (less oil) the first half of your comment is completely redundant
Like you said if you fry the EP it becomes soggy and you have an excess of oil. The secret is to dry them first: you put a decent amount of salt on the EP and let them rest for a few hours with a weight on them so they lose water and bitterness and when you fry them they become crispy.
In order to avoid that the eggplant gets soaked with oil, it is important to put them when the oil is at a temperature of about 170 degrees Celsius. Controlling the temperature is not easy though, since the specific heat of oil is very low, which means that the temperature can drop significantly when you add aubergines and increase fast if you increase the thermal power.
Salting and adding a weight is important, but I think the point of this procedure is to remove the bitter taste, not to prevent them from being soggy.
Back to the Italian classic! Loving it.
Great recipe. Love how you keep it practical. I switched over to using Chinese eggplant as it is sweeter and it does make a big difference in taste! Especially when oven roasted or sauteed.
Just harvested a few eggplants from my garden and found this video. I’ll be trying out this recipe tonight!
I made something close to this accidentally after realizing how delicious eggplant was last summer.
Growing up on Long Island eggplant was usually presented as a soggy and gross alternative to chicken parm, but after learning more they’ve become my favorite vegetable.
Giving this a shot for sure!
Well... I hope someday you will have the chance to try what we call "melanzane alla parmigiana". Greetings from Italy!
facto growing up in LI my mom used to make eggplant and I was so grossed out; tried some eggplant recipes within the past month and I can say that I am a big fan of how low cost and high use they are! This recipe looks great
Eggplant is a boss vegetable. Italian food, Indian food, French, Lebanese - doesn't matter, it'll be glorious in any of them.
OK so this is a Long Island mom thing. Also had the soggy EP growing up and thought I hated it until last year
There was a pizza joint in my hometown of Jacksonville FL that had fried eggplant planks as a pizza topping. Freaking delicious. I really miss that place. Glad you came to have this yummy veg served in a way you love!
Yes! I think the size of the eggplant pieces is so important. Chef, you really conceptualize what eggplant Norma offers us as a dish. Roasting is such a better way to go. I also love how you add some of the eggplant at the end, so it contributes to presentation, and truly contrasts with the sauce. A simple dish, but a master class of what addition by subtraction means in Italian cuisine.
The g in tortiglioni is actually silent
I would use the oil from the egg plants to make the sauce .. needs to drip drain to remove excess , it’s melanzane as opposed to zucchini
But hey , nice work ! I like this one
I've experienced and cooked this dish in many forms while either working in or eating at many restaurants. Some very successful, others mundane, some just plain bad. This version is among the absolute best. Excellent ingredients and attention to detail are the foundations of good cooking. This version exemplifies both.
One trick I learned a while ago when roasting vegetables is to put the sheet pan in the oven while it preheats. Adding the oiled vegetables to the piping hot sheet pan starts the cooking process immediately. No more sogginess.
love to try this at home.
Great idea for using eggplant without salting and draining it. On my bucket list. As for the sauce, I use organic tomato paste to thicken it before adding the canned plum tomatoes......just made my signature homemade sauce yesterday, and it's "thick and zesty", as they used to say in the ads. Props to your sponsor for this video, there are so many folks I know who could benefit from their service these days.
Tried it today. Turned out AMAZINGLY GOOD. One of my new favorite dishes, thanks a lot man :D
How do you pick a good eggplant? Feel like it never comes up on eggplant recipes
No matter what size you’re looking for, make sure it’s skin is blemish free. No brown or soft spots.
Definitely look for ones that are relatively small so you don't get a lot of big seeds inside.
You should also pick an eggplant that has a shiny, clean-looking exterior. If the skin is splotchy then it's no bueno.
Last tip: get one that's nice and firm and you're good to go!
And, no scars!
Look at the base. Observe the “navel” or whatever that dot is called. Some are irregular, lopsided, oblong, round. Choose the ones that have a small, perfectly round dot. They have less seeds and you won’t even need to leave them in salt because they aren’t as bitter as the other ones.
When you carry it, it should be light. The lighter it is the fresher it is. The more heavy it is, means it has more/bigger seeds, so it's not very fresh.
Love your videos by the way, it's clear how much you love what you do
I need that pan! Looks great for reducing a sauce. Your channel is the best!
When you accidentally said zucchini, I immediately thought that would also be quite delicious 😋
lol me too, i'd use both
Looks amazing. Gonna be my first recipe with this year's first eggplant. Yum.
Dude, i only watch your videos up until recently but you have quickly become my favorite cooking channel on youtube. I just love your cut the bullshit approach, keep up the good work, your way of doing cooking content really stands out.
wow....what a fine recipe...thank you !!!
Thank you so much for all your delicious recipes. They never disappoint. I have been a sugar addict and after eating your recipes, my sweet tooth has majorly reduced. Thank you so much!
Awesome dish. I’m definitely going to try this one. Great tips. Thanks
Also, great sponsor, especially with these trying times.
Thanks for another awesome pasta recipe. Please never discontinue this channel! 🤙
Your pronunciation of tortiglioni is priceless 😁
Gotta try that. I always cooked the eggplant in the sauce but i guess roasting it might tastier.
Wow! The best pasta alla Norma recipe!
Complimenti: ricetta spiegata bene e di sicuro successo e gusto! 🇮🇹 👍🏻🤩
Thanks I had some and I was wondering how to cook it fast and easy
I do this with eggplant and mushroom. Toss them in olive oil in a large bowl with seasoning and roast them in the oven while the sauce simmers. So simple, so amazing.
This channel really stepped up my pasta game, another one to my repertoire!!!
love your shows so muck, I'll definitely try this
Your recipes are simply the best and quick to prepare thank you ❤🙏🏼
I ate this in italy and always wanted to learn how to cook it. Thanks for the recipe
I’m on vacation in Rome and Naples this week. Will have to seek this out so I can have a reference when I get home! I haven’t heard of this before today
You will LOVE this, the only unusual thing about it is the name, Pasta Norma... Why??????????😂😂
As the story goes, a Sicilian chef attended the opera “Norma“. He was so impressed by the performance that he went home and created this dish to honor the author, Sicilian composer, Vincenzo Bellini. Hence the name of the dish, “Norma“
I added eggplant to my garden this year, I will definitely be trying this dish!!!
The eggplant is piece of art it was realyy neccery for alot of hungry people back in the old days. It looks like a life saver and very taste at the same time
The food looks so simple, hmm.... but it tempts the taste buds 😌
Made this last weekend according to your recipe and it was a hit! Thank you! :)
Made this evening. Lightly seasoned my eggplant with dried mushroom powder and used feta. Otherwise, made as shown and it was excellent. Thank you.
Aubergine is a lovely vegetable to use and I cook Italian style dishes with it regularly
Going to try your recipe tomorrow, I liked this one better than the others😁👌🏽
Great simplicity! Thanks.
No doubt, one of my favourite channels on YT right now. Good work!
This is definitely one of my favorite pasta dishes! It's incredibly tasty 👌
What a nice video !!!
Its very entertain for me when I want to refresh after the hardwork
Thanks for posting this; I was looking for a vegan eggplant pasta dish, but I think I can find a good enough vegan version of ricotta salata to make it work. And the stars are the roasted eggplant and the pasta anyway. This looks great!
Gonna try this for lunch. I work in a Greek restaurant, so will be using the Feta that we already have. We also have eggplant, which we use in Musaka and Melitzanosalata or eggplant dip. The sauce will be reduced Plaki sauce, and I might use some kalamata olives (just sayin’). Thanks for the lunch idea…
Your show inspired me to try my hand at cooking! I know very little but made something edible for me and me girl and that made me super happy, will try to keep at it!
I'm making this tonight with spinach. 💜
Polish cersion: saute diced onion in butter, add goat cheese (or cottage cheese), black pepper, and elbows.
Better help is an incredible platform!
my gf told me the chef im watching looks like an addict. I told her, i dont care he cooks incredible food! hahaha and I might look like him balancing work and teaching a bunch of people in youtube someday😅
good recipes and tutorials and very easy to understand
Awesome. Eggplant is an unsung hero in the kitchen. I love it.
A dish I can make easily... love this 😀.
Fantastic. I like this channel. Practical recipes!
That's a good eggplant that's not beaten too much but pretty much coated with the sauce!
Yes! I love eggplant and I cannot wait to make this dish! Thank you!!
I make these all the time, not exactly in the same way but either way i love it
My relatives from Palermo make tomato sauce with onion, but not fried onion: they add water and soften them like that. Then they add the tomato (and a little sugar, if necessary) and the basil. They fry the aubergines, but only after soaking them in salted water and then rinsing them, squeezing the water out and patting them dry (unless they're using a different kind of aubergine, often called 'melenzane tunisine', which don't have to be soaked).
To Everyone who sees this comment:
Keep pushing in life and just never give up!
You are a wonderful person, you can achieve everything you want, God may bless you.🥰🥰🥰
This pasta recipe has been our absolute favourite since I found it on your channel. It is so tasty that I dpn't want to make pasta any other way anymore! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
I love your attitude. Thank you for the video
Love this! I also love how you say the word "thick", it makes my day lol. Hush I'm weird!!
Wait until he uses the word ricotta😜
@@gittevogelbein8259 I love that one too lol 😋
Looks Awesome ! I've had eggplant before , but that was a parmesan , which is fried . I've got to try it roasted !
Great idea roasting the eggplant for this dish! That is really going to give it a nice depth of flavor. I can’t wait to give this one a try!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s one of my favorite dishes and I can’t wait to make it 🤗🤗
I agree 😋😋
Just another reason why this channel is so good. Another banger Stephen
Pasta alla Norma is one of my favourite Italian dishes, named after Bellini's opera. It's also great as a Pizza Norma: fried eggplant with ricotta salata (feta works fine if you can't get it).
I love 2 cook with the basil stem
You’re the king of pasta! Every recipe SLAPS
I absolutely love your videos. My mouth waters when I see you cook. You are very detailed in explaining what you're doing and you make it look easy 😁😁👍👍👍
😁😁
I ate that dish on sicilia in the city of messina in the Trattoria al Padrino, it was a blast. Really love these types of food, especially pasta! :* Thx for sharing!
Can't wait too cook this 👌🏻 ciao from Croatia & Germany!
This is my favourite pasta but I’ve never been able to make it to the same level. So excited to try this man
interesting to try, thank you
Can't say I love the lower case letters. It looked more professional with the upper case letters and now others are copying you. I love everything you do.
That's how Ralph Cifaretto finishes his macaroni and gravy too.
Woow. Making this tomorrow.
Food mill you use, which brand / model is it?
last time i was in italy this was my go to pasta for a while, of course until I found a shop selling some ammaaazing Pici all'Aglione muah *chefs kiss*
I love eggplants! and your channel
Yesss! Now I know what I'm cooking tonight. Lovely.😋
Wow man. You did it again. Looks insanely good
Mouth is watering. I cant wait to make this.
Awesome vibes. You strike me as someone who would appreciate drinking kava the traditional way.
This looks fricken delicious! 😋 thanks again 👌🏼
I just got some eggplants and I'm trying this!
Oh boy, gotta have to make this as soon as possible!
This was amazing 🤩 Thank you 🙏🏽
Great recipe, great video!
Thank you for the video, it is very useful for me.
Awesome! Thanks for the ideas!
Looks so good!!
Much love from your biggest Italian American fan in Chicago