Pasta alla Norma (Italian: [ˈ pasta alla ˈ n ɔ rma], also called pasta con le melanzane (lit. & thinsp;'pasta with eggplant'), is a pasta meal made from eggplant. It is common of Sicilian food, from Catania specifically. It is made of penne or other pasta with tomato sauce, covered with slices of fried eggplant and served with grated ricotta salata cheese and usually basil. It was named in honor of a local of Catania, Vincenzo Bellini, the author of the opera Norma. It is said that the Italian author Nino Martoglio exclaimed "This is an actual 'Norma'!", suggesting a work of art, when he tasted the meal, although the name is not confirmed till decades after his death. Pasta alla Norma was called "dish of the year" by the BIT Tourist Award in 2018.
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