Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma (also Spaghetti alla Norma ) is a pasta dish from Sicilian cuisine . It is usually based on macaroni , occasionally also penne or penne rigate or spaghetti. Other ingredients are aubergines , tomatoes , fresh basil and ricotta salata , a sheep's cheese typical of Sicily .

history

The dish has been known since the 19th century and was named after the opera Norma by the Catania- born composer Vincenzo Bellini .

There are two legends about the origin of the name. For one thing, it is believed that a Sicilian chef was so enthusiastic about Bellini's opera that he named one of his dishes after it. The second, more likely explanation is that Bellini's compatriots were so taken with the beauty of his opera that they began to use the term una vera Norma , a real Norma, as a superlative . Over the years, the tasty dish, typical of the region, was given the name Pasta alla Norma .

symbolism

The colors of the five ingredients are often interpreted as a symbol of the Italian tricolor in connection with the colors of the city of Catania. The fresh basil stands for the green of the land, the pasta for the white of equality and the tomatoes for the red of brotherhood. The black of the eggplants and the white of the ricotta salata symbolize the lava or snow-covered slopes of Mount Etna near the city.

literature

• Chris Meier et al. a .: Sicily. Culinary travel sketches. Hädecke Verlag, Weil der Stadt 1997, ISBN 3-7750-0307-X .