Sicilian Caponata Recipe
This easy recipe for eggplant caponata is bursting with vegetables and flavors and is totally vegetarian. It is a great appetizer to have with a glass of Sicilian Corvo Rosso wine that your guests will thoroughly enjoy.
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Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 334kcal
Ingredients
- 20 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 5 for each vegetable
- 1 1/2 pound eggplant unpeeled diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 small red bell pepper cut into1/2 inch pieces
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes diced
- 1/2 cup Gaeta black olives or kalamata olives
- 3 celery stalks chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 14 1/2 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped or fresh parsley
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- crusty bread as desired
Equipment
- large skillet
- Colander
- chopping board
- Sharp Knife
- plates or bowls
- paper towels
- large serving bowl
Instructions
- Place the diced eggplant pieces in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 20-30 minutes so the eggplant loses its bitter taste. Rinse with water and transfer the eggplant to a large clean towel and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil, toss the potatoes and cook them until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Once the potatoes are ready, transfer them to a medium bowl lined with layers of paper towel and set aside. Discard the oil and clean the pan.
- In the same large skillet, add another 5 tablespoons of oil and start frying the bell peppers until soft and lightly browned. Transfer to the bowl with the potatoes and set aside. Discard the oil and clean the pan.
- In the same skillet, add another 5 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the eggplant. Watch it while it cooks, as it may need more oil. When it’s soft, transfer the cooked eggplant to the bowl with the other vegetables and set aside. Discard the oil and clean the pan.
- Return skillet to heat, add olive oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes to allow them to caramelize.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the tomato and continue cooking for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the olives, vinegar, capers, sugar and all the veggies and mix together. You can add some kosher salt and black pepper to taste if you haven’t added it yet. Cook slowly over medium heat for a couple of minutes while mixing gently.
- Turn off the heat, add the chopped basil and mix the caponata and then let it cool to room temperature.
- Serve caponata in a large bowl along with a basket of crusty bread slices of your choosing.
Notes
- You can replace the can of sauce with the same amount of ripe plum tomatoes or other canned crushed tomatoes. Some recipes actually use a combination of tomato paste and water. When not using sauce, be aware that the tomatoes will need to cook longer to get the right consistency, you can even crush them a little with the back of a fork.
- Garlic and carrots are not ingredients in the traditional eggplant caponata recipe.
- Instead of frying, you can roast the eggplant and other vegetables for a lighter flavor. You can add the roasted eggplant and other vegetables directly into a red sauce.
Serving: 200g | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 759IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
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