Pasta alla Norma-Style Spaghetti with Aubergine, Tomato & Pecorino
Pasta alla Norma-Style Spaghetti with Aubergine, Tomato & Pecorino — 50 mins family dinner · Tomato-rich Mediterranean dinners using shared ingredients: beef…
Ingredients
- 75g spaghetti
- 160g aubergine for this meal
- 70g extra aubergine for Dinner 3
- 120g cherry tomatoes or ripe tomatoes
- 100g passata
- ½ garlic clove
- 4g fresh basil
- 15g pecorino, ricotta salata or parmesan
- 2 tsp olive or rapeseed oil
- 5g tomato purée, optional
Method
- Heat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan.
- Cut aubergine into wedges or cubes. Toss with oil and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until soft and golden. Save the planned extra aubergine for Dinner 3 before adding salty cheese, chilli or adult seasoning.
- Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, passata and optional tomato purée. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until thickened.
- Cook spaghetti according to packet instructions. Cook younger-child pasta slightly softer if needed.
- Remove baby and toddler portions of pasta, soft aubergine and tomato sauce before adding salty cheese, chilli or adult seasoning.
- Toss spaghetti with tomato sauce and roasted aubergine, loosening with a splash of pasta water if needed.
- Serve with basil and grated cheese for adults and older children.
Storage and reheating
Cool cooked meatballs, tomato sauce and aubergine sauce within 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 48 hours. Reheat meatballs and sauces until steaming hot throughout and only reheat once. Pasta is best fresh; sauces can be stored separately. Couscous is best cooked fresh. For babies and toddlers, keep portions separate before adding salt, chilli flakes, large amounts of pecorino/parmesan/ricotta salata, whole pine nuts, whole or chopped nuts, whole raisins, strong black pepper or adult toppings.
Safety and substitutions
Aubergine skin can be chewy, so cook until very soft and chop or mash for babies. Spaghetti can be difficult for babies and toddlers, so cut short. Salty cheeses should be avoided or kept very minimal for babies. Cool leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate and eat within 48 hours.
Why this recipe works
50 mins family dinner · Tomato-rich Mediterranean dinners using shared ingredients: beef mince, tomato sauce, aubergines, garlic, basil, pecorino/parmesan, almonds, cinnamon and raisins. set · Vegetarian protein. Part of a three-meal shopping base with household scaling.
Part of a three-meal set
Sicilian-Inspired Tomato, Aubergine & Sweet-Spiced Beef Set — Sicilian-style sweet cinnamon meatballs, pasta alla Norma-style tomato aubergine spaghetti, and Moroccan-inspired leftover meatball and aubergine couscous bowls.
Updated 2026-07-20