Caponata
Caponata is a rich, glossy Sicilian eggplant relish with a vivid sweet-and-sour character. Tender browned eggplant, tomatoes, celery, olives, and capers come together in a savory agrodolce sauce, finished with pine nuts and basil for freshness and texture.
Ingredients
Vegetables and aromatics
- 400 geggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 120 gyellow onion, thinly sliced
- 100 gcelery stalks, sliced into 5 mm pieces
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely sliced
- 200 gripe tomatoes, diced
Agrodolce base
- 60 ggreen olives, pitted and halved
- 20 gcapers, rinsed
- 25 mlred wine vinegar
- 10 gcaster sugar
- 15 gtomato paste
For frying and finishing
- 45 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 20 gpine nuts
- 8 gfresh basil leaves, torn
- 4 gfine sea salt
- 1 gblack pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- 1
Prepare all the ingredients before you start: cube the eggplant, slice the onion and celery, slice the garlic, dice the tomatoes, halve the olives, rinse the capers, and tear the basil. In a small cup, stir together the red wine vinegar, caster sugar, and tomato paste until mostly dissolved; this helps the sweet-and-sour seasoning distribute quickly later.
- 2
Heat a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 30 ml of the olive oil. Add the eggplant and 2 g of the salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until the cubes are lightly browned and tender but still holding their shape. If the pan looks dry, lower the heat slightly rather than flooding with more oil. Transfer the eggplant to a plate.
- 3
In the same pan, add the remaining 15 ml olive oil, then the onion and celery. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and the celery loses its raw edge but stays slightly crisp. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, not browned.
- 4
Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to break down. Stir in the olives and capers, then pour in the vinegar mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened; the sharp smell of vinegar should mellow noticeably.
- 5
Return the eggplant to the pan and fold gently to coat without crushing it. Add the pine nuts, the remaining 2 g salt, and the black pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes so the flavors marry; the caponata should be juicy, not watery, with a balanced sweet-sour finish. Taste and adjust with a few extra drops of vinegar or a pinch of sugar if needed.
- 6
Take the pan off the heat and rest the caponata for 5 minutes. Fold in most of the basil, keeping a little for the top. Serve warm or at room temperature, finished with the remaining basil.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For the best texture in a 30-minute version, use a wide pan so the eggplant browns instead of steaming.
- •Traditional caponata is often even better after cooling, when the agrodolce flavor settles; leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 2 days.
- •Serve with grilled sourdough, as a side dish, or spooned over polenta or beans for a fuller meal.
- •If your olives or capers are very salty, rinse well and be conservative with the final seasoning.
Background
Caponata is a classic Sicilian agrodolce dish built around eggplant and a balance of vinegar and sweetness. Versions vary across Sicily, with additions such as celery, olives, capers, pine nuts, or raisins depending on the town and household. It is traditionally served as an antipasto or side and is prized for tasting excellent at room temperature.
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