Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Pasta alla Norma
550 kcal a serving, against 937 for the traditional version. That is 387 kcal off, or 41%, with 24g of protein. Serves 4. 40 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Thick chunks of aubergine deep-fried in olive oil, then folded into a garlic and tomato sauce. Tossed with dried pasta and finished with a heavy grating of salted ricotta. Basil is the only acceptable herb.
What changed, and what each change costs
500g of deep-fried aubergine for 600g of fresh aubergine roasted with 15g of oil
Frying aubergine forces it to drink oil like a marathon runner at a water station. Roasting it with a measured spoon of oil strips out hundreds of calories of pure fat while keeping the charred edges.
What it costs you. You lose the melting, almost liquid texture of the fried version. Roasted aubergine holds its shape more and tastes a bit less decadent, which changes the mouthfeel of the whole plate.
100g of dried pasta a head down to 80g
A smaller pile of pasta leaves room on the plate and in the calorie budget for more cheese, which is a trade I'll make every time.
What it costs you. You get 20% fewer carbs. The roasted aubergine bulks out the sauce heavily, so you barely notice the missing pasta once everything's mixed together.
80g of ricotta salata up to 120g
This cheese is firm, salty and relatively lean. Adding half as much again brings a sharp hit of salt and a very welcome bump of protein to the plate.
What it costs you. Ricotta salata can be a pain to find in British supermarkets. Buying more of it will cost you a few extra quid at an Italian deli, assuming you've got one nearby.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 937 | 550 |
| Protein | 23.5g | 24g |
| Fat | 54.5g | 16.1g |
| Saturated fat | 9.9g | 6.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 87.8g | 78.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.5g | 4.4g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk.
The method is in the book
The roasted version is a totally different beast, but it works brilliantly. Call it a bright, sharp dinner you can actually digest rather than a greasy late-night comfort bowl and you'll be about right. You get the same punch of tomato and salty cheese, just without the heavy oil slick at the bottom of the bowl.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.