Tagliatelle Norma with Truffled Robiola de Roccaverano Cheese
AUTHOR: Fabio Morisi
 // ORIGIN: Sicily // DIFFICULTY: Easy


Ingredients [Serves 4]
11 oz. Tagliatelle Pasta di Aldo
26 oz. Pomodori polpa Mutti (tomato pulp)
Two eggplants
Two heads of garlic

A bunch fresh basil
Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Oil for frying
Truffled Robiola de Roccaverano cheese
Salt and pepper

Preparation
Slice the eggplant lengthwise and season with salt to remove the bitterness. Pat dry with a cloth and fry in hot oil. Prepare the tomato sauce with the olive oil, garlic, tomato pulp and chilli. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain and add the sauce and basil. Carefully incorporate the truffled Robiola Roccaverano cheese. Buon Appetito!

Curiosities
Two clients walked into Don Giovanni restaurant, where I worked. They had come from Rome to hear the great tenor Alfredo Kraus. I informed them that he was ill and would not perform Werther that day. “We will have dinner and walk around Madrid”, they said. “Have these tickets”. And so I had the opportunity to listen to Ramón Vargas, who replaced Kraus that night. By the way, it was an absolute success.


Who was Norma you may ask?
It is an opera written by Vincenzo Bellini that premiered at La Scala in Milan on December 26, 1831. It is considered a great example of the highest operatic tradition. Advice: bring several handkerchiefs to the theater because after hearing the aria Casta Diva, you are likely to shed a river of tears. ■