Colm O'Gorman's perfect Pasta alla Norma

The secret is cooking the aubergine in the air fryer

A classic from Sicily.

I have a lovely Italian pasta recipe for you this week, a classic from Sicily. Pasta all Norma is a simple but delicious dish of aubergines in a classic marinara sauce made with tomatoes and basil. I have also added some chilli flakes and chopped capers to my recipe as I love the little bit of complexity of flavour that they bring. You can skip those if you like, but I highly recommend you try them.

I use rigatoni for my Pasta alla Norma. I like the size and texture of it in this dish, but you can use pretty much any pasta shape. Penne, macaroni, or spaghetti would all work well. Try and use bronze cut pasta if you can. This is pasta that has been cut with bronze metal plates which give the pasta a rougher, more porous finish which absorbs more sauce and helps enhance the flavour and texture of your dish.