Pasta all Norma headlines as a signature Catanian dish in Sicily. Any type of Eggplant works. As always the key is not to scorch any of the garlic or eggplant as this will add a bitter flavor that will spread, tainting the whole dish.
Coat 1 eggplant cut into larger bite chunks in olive oil. No need to salt or peel the eggplant but remove any super-seedy flesh. Saute the eggplant in a pan and allow the flesh to turn golden brown.
Add 1-2 cloves diced garlic, a large pinch of dried oregano and continue to cook allowing the garlic to soften.
Add a 14 oz can of tomatoes and red pepper flakes, stir then add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes. Longer is fine, again no scorching.
Serve over pasta of choice, penne or rigatoni are recommended. Lastly, sprinkle with a hearty portion of ricotta salada or ricotta infornata(1).
(1) Ricotta infornata is produced by placing a large lump of soft ricotta in the oven until it develops a brown, lightly charred crust, sometimes even until it becomes sandy brown all the way through. Ricotta infornata is popular primarily in Sardinia and Sicily, and is sometimes called ricotta al forno. Source: Wikipedia, "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricotta#Variants"