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Rigatoni alla Norma is a quintessential Italian classic that embodies pure comfort. Savory roasted eggplant is tossed with a simple tomato sauce and garnished with creamy ricotta cheese and a healthy finish of grated Parmesan cheese.

About This Recipe

Rigatoni alla norma is a classic Italian dish originating in Sicily. This simple pasta dish features tender roasted eggplant that is tossed with a simple tomato sauce and finished with creamy ricotta cheese. For another wonderful Italian meal try my Italian Sausage and Peppers.

Traditionally, you'll find the rigatoni alla norma garnished with a few shavings of ricotta salata, which is a pressed firm ricotta cheese. Though the addition of creamy ricotta cheese offers a delicious luxurious layer of texture.

If you love eggplant as much as I do, you'll love roasted eggplant with creamy tahini as well!

📋 Ingredients

• Eggplant: Look for smooth eggplant that feel heavy for their size without any blemishes or soft spots.
• Pasta: Rigatoni or penne rigate are my preferred pasta, as they can hold on to the tomato sauce.
• Garlic: Look for garlic cloves that are tight on the bulb, which means that they are fresh.
• Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive to saute the garlic and to drizzle over the eggplant ricotta pasta as a garnish.
• Tomato Sauce: I've made this with all sorts of tomatoes, such as passata which is strained tomatoes, tomato sauce, chopped canned tomatoes and whole tomatoes that are roughly crushed. Look for San Marzano tomatoes, which are darker in color and have a sweeter flavor.
• Ricotta Cheese: Look for a thick ricotta cheese that isn't too watery. If the ricotta is looser and more waterier, place a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheesecloth. Then add the ricotta and let it strain excess water.
• Parmesan Cheese: Use either grated parmesan cheese or pecorino cheese, which is a hard Italian sheep's cheese with a stronger and saltier flavor.
• Fresh Basil: If fresh basil isn't available, fresh oregano would be delicious.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, if you don't like spicy, leave it out.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🍋 Substitutions and Variations

• Instead of rigatoni, use penne rigate or bucatini pasta.
• If creamy ricotta is not available, add a few shavings of ricotta salata, which is a pressed and firm ricotta.
• Eggplant is traditionally used in rigatoni alla norma, but other roasted vegetables would be delicious, such as roasted zucchini or mushrooms.
• Use any canned tomatoes available, such as strained tomatoes, diced tomatoes or whole canned tomatoes that are roughly crushed with your hands.

⏲️ Instructions

Step 1: Peel the eggplant, leaving every other strip of peel on, then slice and cut the eggplant into ½ inch cubes.

Step 2: Transfer the cubed eggplant to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat evenly and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes.

Step 3: Place a pot over medium heat and drizzle olive oil. Saute garlic until lightly caramelized, about 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water in another pot.

Step 4: Pour the tomato sauce into the pot and add fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper, stir and let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Step 5: Add the cooked pasta directly to the sauce and reserve some of the pasta water to add, if needed.

Step 6: Once the roasted eggplant is done, it should be soft and slightly caramelized.

Step 7: Add all of the roasted eggplant cubes to the cooked rigatoni and tomato sauce.

Step 8: Give the rigatoni alla norma a good mix so everything is evenly coated with the tomato sauce. Add more pasta water, if needed to loosen the sauce.

Step 9: Ladle the eggplant pasta into bowls and top with a dollop of ricotta cheese. Garnish with grated parmesan, drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.

Wine Pairing

If you would like to pair wine with the eggplant pasta, I highly suggest sticking with Italian red wines such as Chianti or Barbera. Both are medium bodied red wines that will balance the acidic tomato sauce nicely.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve rigatoni alla norma alongside a crisp salad, such as caesar salad or shaved brussels spouts salad with parmesan.
• Are you entertaining? Make an Italian charcuterie board before serving the eggplant ricotta pasta.
• And pasta is so fantastic with warm bread to sop up all of the sauce! Try my garlic herb focaccia.

More Eggplant Recipes

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5 from 14 votes

Rigatoni Alla Norma

Rigatoni alla norma is a classic Italian recipe with savory roasted eggplant tossed in a simple tomato sauce and finished with creamy ricotta cheese.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: eggplant pasta, eggplant ricotta pasta, pasta alla norma, rigatoni alla norma

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Cost: $10

Ingredients

Roasted Eggplant

• 1 large eggplant
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ pound ziti or penne

Pasta and Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 28 ounces tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes or whole tomatoes, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Small handful of fresh basil + more for garnish
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Trim the ends off of the eggplant and alternate peeling the eggplant. It should look like vertical stripes with some sections have the peel and some don't. Then cut the eggplant into thick slices and then into ½ inch cubes.
• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place eggplant on a foil lined or parchment lined baking sheet. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
• Roast the eggplant in oven for about 35 minutes until eggplant is incredibly tender and slightly caramelized. Set aside.
• While eggplant is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta and cook pasta according to package directions. (I always go about 1 minute less and check as I go).
• In a separate pot, place a pot over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until just lightly golden. Add the tomato sauce whole tomatoes, add the fresh basil and season with salt and pepper. Give the sauce a stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Once the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and add the pasta directly into the sauce. When the roasted eggplant is done, add that to the pasta and toss to combine so all of the sauce evenly coats the noddles. Add pasta water as needed.
• Serve the eggplant pasta in bowls and top with a hefty spoonful of creamy ricotta cheese. Garnish with grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.

Notes

• • When picking out an eggplant, look for the younger, smaller eggplants. They will have less seeds and be less bitter.

• • Look for eggplant that has a smooth skin with no blemishes or bruises.

• • The eggplant skin is not my favorite part, so I will peel most or all of the skin off, that way I can enjoy the whole bite without a tough peel leftover.

• • Eggplant is like a sponge and soaks up everything! So don't overdo it with the olive oil, a good drizzle or brush is enough.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 2363mg | Potassium: 968mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1335IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 324mg | Iron: 3mg

When vibrant squash blossoms burst into season, it's time to celebrate one of summers greatest treasures! This simple squash blossom pizza starts with a savory garlic infused olive oil base with layers of tender zucchini ribbons and fresh squash blossoms, adding a burst of color. Finish the summery pizza with creamy burrata cheese and fresh basil and enjoy the flavors of what summer has to offer!

🍕 About This Recipe

In the heart of the summer season, zucchini and squash flowers are at their peak! Usually, I like stuffed zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and if you haven't jumped on that, I urge you to because fried squash flowers are fantastic! For another wonderful pizza combination, try my Spinach Feta Pizza.

Instead of frying, you can use these delicate zucchini flowers in a number of ways. This zucchini flower pizza is inspired from one of my favorite pizza restaurants in Los Angeles, called Pizzeria Mozza. They are famous for their squash blossom pizza and couldn't wait to make it as soon as they were in season! And if you have any leftover pizza dough, make a Pizza Sandwich!

🌼 About Squash Blossoms

Squash blossoms are also called zucchini flowers. They are the flowers that grow from the zucchini or squash plant. Zucchini flowers are delicate with a vibrant yellow color and as the flowers grow, they will eventually turn into male flowers or female flowers. The female flowers will grow into the fruit and the male flowers will stay on the stem.

It's recommended to harvest the male zucchini flowers if you just want the flowers, but keep in mind that there still needs to be male flowers so they can pollinate the other flowers to turn into zucchini.

You can also harvest the female flowers that are beginning to grow zucchini, like pictured in the ingredient list. That way you have both the zucchini and the flowers to ad dot the pizza.

📋 Ingredients

• Pizza Dough: When working with raw pizza dough, keep it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling the dough out.
• Mozzarella Cheese: A few slices of mozzarella, roughly torn or shredded is all you need as the base for this white pizza. Another favorite is buffalo milk mozzarella, which has great flavor and is easily digestible for most people.
• Olive Oil: No tomato sauce in this pizza, instead, this is an olive oil pizza with grated garlic that steeps in the rich olive oil.
• Garlic: I like using a microplane to grate the garlic or you can chop it finely. The pizza is is an olive oil garlic sauce which doesn't overpower the tender zucchini and burrata cheese.
• Zucchini Flowers and Zucchini: Zucchini flowers are very delicate and should be used the same they they are harvested. If harvesting yourself, cut the zucchini flowers in the morning when they are open.
• Burrata Cheese: Burrata is a ball of mozzarella with a very soft cream inside, called stracciatella. I suggest adding the burrata after the pizza is cooked or on top of cooked and warm dishes such as warm roasted cherry tomatoes or on top of a fresh burrata caprese.
• Parmesan Cheese: Optional but highly recommended, add a grating of Parmesan cheese right before cooking the zucchini flower pizza.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

⏲️ Instructions

Step 1. Roll out pizza dough and brush a thin layer of the garlic olive oil onto the dough.

Step 2. Layer on the shredded mozzarella cheese and zucchini ribbons, leaving room around the border.

Step 3. Add the squash flowers (cut in half if they are large) and top with grated parmesan cheese, if using.

Step 4. Cook the squash blossom pizza in a hot 500 degree Fahrenheit oven until the crust is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Step 5. As soon as the pizza is done cooking, garnish with roughly torn burrata cheese and fresh basil leaves.

Recipe FAQs

Serving Suggestions

If you have leftover squash blossoms, make stuffed zucchini flowers to start. As a side, make classic caesar salad to serve alongside the zucchini pizza or a crunchy shredded brussels sprouts salad with Parmesan.

Do you want a pizza on the other end of the spectrum, packed with bolognese sauce? Try my Bolognese Pizza and give your friends and family a variety of flavors.

More Pizza Recipes to Try

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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5 from 4 votes

Squash Blossom Pizza with Burrata

This vibrant squash blossom pizza features a garlic-infused olive oil base, tender zucchini ribbons, fresh squash blossoms and creamy burrata cheese.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time38 minutes mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: garlic pizza, pizza with garlic, squash blossom pizza, zucchini flower burrata pizza, zucchini flower pizza

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 633kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough room temperature
• Flour for dusting
• ¼ cup olive oil + more for drizzling
• 1-2 garlic cloves grated or finely chopped
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1 small zucchini or summer squash sliced thin into ribbons
• Grated parmesan cheese
• 8 zucchini flowers cut in half and the inside stem removed
• 8 ounces burrata cheese about 4 small 2 ounce balls of burrata
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and if available, place the pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
• Divide the dough in half and roll out both dough balls to a 9-10 inch circle.
• Whisk the grated garlic with the olive oil and brush the garlic oil onto the pizza dough, leaving room around the border.
• Layer the shredded mozzarella, zucchini ribbons and top with the halved zucchini flowers, gently fanning the flours out for presentation.
• 'If using, top with grated parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil right on top.
• Transfer the pizza to a hot pizza stone and cook the pizza until the crust is golden brown and cheese has melted, for about 6-8 minutes.
• Once done, remove the squash flower pizza from the oven and top with roughly ton burrata cheese, about 2-4 ounces per pizza and fresh basil leaves.

Notes

• • Use squash blossoms the same day they are harvested or purchased because they will wilt quickly.

• • If cutting your own squash blossoms, cut the flowers in the morning when they are open.

• • Don't wash the zucchini flowers, just give them a simple wipe if there's any dirt on them.

• • If burrata cheese isn't available, substitute with fresh mozzarella that is packed in brine.

• • Let the pizza dough come to room temperature so it's easier to stretch out.
  • Recipe Yields 2 medium size pizzas.

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1045mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 4mg