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 dish made from eggplant. It is regular of Sicilian cuisine, from Catania particularly. It is made from penne or various other pasta with tomato sauce, covered with slices of fried eggplant and served with grated ricotta salata cheese and usually basil. It was called in honor of a citizen of Catania, Vincenzo Bellini, the author of the opera Norma. It is stated that the Italian writer Nino Martoglio exclaimed "This is an actual 'Norma'!", meaning a work of art, when he tasted the meal, although the name is not testified till years after his fatality. Pasta alla Norma was named "meal of the year" by the Little Bit Tourist Honor in 2018.
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