Air-fryer pasta alla Norma recipe

Name: Air-fryer pasta alla Norma
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil; 3 aubergines, trimmed and cut into half-moons; 2 large garlic cloves, crushed; 2 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes; 20g fresh basil, leaves and stalks separated, stalks finely chopped; 2 tsp red wine vinegar; pinch of caster sugar; 300g rigatoni; 80g ricotta; 20g pecorino, grated

Created by The Tesco Recipes team

Inspired by the Sicilian classic, this easy yet special pasta alla Norma features air-fried aubergines for a tender and caramelised finish. It’s then folded into a rich homemade tomato sauce (with leftovers for another meal, see recipe below). Serve it the traditional way with wide, ridged rigatoni, perfect for catching the chunky sauce. A flavour-packed weeknight dinner that delivers 2 of you 5-a-day.

See method

Serves 4
Takes 45 mins
484 calories / serving

Shop your ingredients

Tesco Olive Oil 250Ml
4 tbsp olive oil
£3.10
£12.40/litre
Tesco Aubergine Each
This product's currently out of stock
Aldi Price Match
3 aubergines, trimmed and cut into half-moons
Tesco Garlic 4 Pack
Aldi Price Match
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
£0.87
£0.22/each
Tesco Italian Peeled Plum Tomatoes 400G
Aldi Price Match
2 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes
£0.47
£1.18/kg
Tesco Fresh Cut Basil 30G
Aldi Price Match
20g fresh basil, leaves and stalks separated, stalks finely chopped
£0.50
£16.67/kg
Tesco Red Wine Vinegar 350Ml
2 tsp red wine vinegar
£1.55
£4.43/litre
Silver Spoon Caster Sugar 1Kg
pinch of caster sugar
£2.25
£2.25/kg
Tesco Rigatoni Pasta 500G
Buy 1 Dolmio Pasta Sauce and Save 75p on Tesco Pasta Clubcard Price
Offer valid for delivery from 29/09/2026 until 26/10/2026
300g rigatoni
£0.75
£1.50/kg
Tesco Ricotta Cheese 250 G
80g ricotta
£1.50
£6.00/kg
Tesco Grated Pecorino Cheese 50G
20g pecorino, grated
£1.45
£29.00/kg

Method

Preheat the air-fryer to 180°C. In a bowl, massage 3 tbsp oil into the aubergines, then season well. Transfer to the air-fryer and cook for 25-30 mins, shaking the drawer every 5 mins and mixing with a wooden spoon to ensure the aubergine pieces cook evenly until tender and caramelising; season.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the garlic for 1-2 mins until fragrant and sizzling, then pour in the tinned tomatoes and half a tin of water; break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the basil stalks, vinegar and sugar; season well. Bring to a boil, then simmer over a medium-high heat for 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick and saucy; reduce the heat if it starts to stick. Stir in most of the basil leaves and season to taste.
Cook the pasta to pack instructions. Drain well.
Lightly stir the cooked aubergine into the sauce. Set aside around 230g for the parmigiana ciabattas (see tip), then mix the pasta into the remaining sauce. Divide among plates and serve topped with a dollop of ricotta, grated pecorino, the remaining basil and some black pepper.

Cook once, eat twice tip: Use the leftover aubergine for our Aubergine parmigiana ciabattas.

See more Air-fryer recipes

Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze pasta and sauce only. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.