Norma pasta

Giclée fine art print on 310 gsm velvet paper.
A3 size, 29.47cm x 42cm.

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Inspired by my family's recipe...

For many years my grandad Ciccio used to tell us funny stories of Pasta alla Norma, saying it was named after my great great great granny Saridda's dish. Legend says that in the early 1900s, local actor Angelo Musco was at my relatives' home, invited for lunch with other actors and theatre people from Catania, when at the end of the meal he described the pasta as being as good as La Norma (Bellini's famous opera music). Ciccio's legend was then to be found true, by me and my generation of cousins. My grandad was a great (passionate!) storyteller. My grandad was also the first person in my circle to buy a smartphone. And also the first to think Facebook was a silly place to be, after printing and reading the full privacy notice, as you do. My grandad had many quirky collections. And his life wasn't long enough to open all the drawers full of books magazines cassettes CD-ROMs and DVDs that he would get from the news kiosk on a weekly basis.

My grandad was a real character and I still love him very much.

When he died, it was a Sunday, and I was on my own preparing my Pasta alla Norma, which is a pretty rare thing for me, as getting ricotta salata cheese in Glasgow is not an easy task. I got the call, and there I was eating my Norma pasta. It felt bad not finishing it. I had it with spoon and fork, as he would. Since then, I have attempted to draw Norma pasta many times. Yet nothing good had come out since this April.

When I was in Sicily during Easter, planning my wedding with JB, it was also the 4th anniversary of Cicco's death. I had decided I wanted my grandad to get me a present. So I channelled all his stories and this is what came out. Finally! Pasta alla Norma has been a tough one to draw.

On the very same day I had the thought of starting this drawing, my granny gave me her present. For Giulia and Gios, she wrote on the letter. It was clearly meant to be. ✨