Caponata Siciliana

Name: Caponata Siciliana
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 Eggplants, medium, cut into 2–3 cm cubes; 3 stalks of Celery, stalks, sliced; 1 Onion, large, sliced; 400g Canned Peeled Tomatoes, crushed by hand; 80g Green Olives, pitted and roughly chopped; 2 tbsp Salted Capers, well rinsed and drained; 30g Pine Nuts; 30g Raisins, soaked in warm water and drained; 10 leaves of Basil, fresh leaves, torn; 150ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for frying the eggplant; 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for sautéing; 80ml White Wine Vinegar; 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Caponata Siciliana is a sweet-and-sour Sicilian eggplant stew bursting with bright tomatoes, briny olives and capers, sweet raisins and crunchy pine nuts. Served at room temperature, it makes a fantastic antipasto, side dish or topping for crusty bread, and its flavors deepen if allowed to rest for a few hours or overnight. The balance of tangy vinegar, a touch of sugar, and fragrant basil gives this rustic dish its irresistible character.

Caponata Siciliana is a sweet-and-sour Sicilian eggplant stew bursting with bright tomatoes, briny olives and capers, sweet raisin... Show more

Traditional Italian Recipe

Health Grade

C+ · Balanced

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

1,67 €

Calories

584 kcal

vegan

low calorie

meal prep

gluten free

low carb

mediterranean diet

Method

Prep ingredients

Cut the Eggplant into 2–3 cm cubes, slice the Celery stalks, and thinly slice the Onion. Rinse the Salted Capers well under cold water and drain them, then roughly chop the Green Olives. Soak the Raisins in warm water for 10 minutes, drain them, and tear the Basil leaves so everything is ready before you start cooking.

Fry eggplant

Heat the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant cubes in batches, turning them often, until they are deeply golden and tender all the way through, about 8–10 minutes per batch; move each batch to a plate or tray lined with paper towels as it comes out.

Cook aromatics

Add the 2 tbsp of olive oil for sautéing to the same pan, then add the celery and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they soften and start to turn lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the Pine Nuts for the last 1–2 minutes so they toast gently and smell nutty.

Simmer sauce

Tip in the Canned Peeled Tomatoes, crushing them by hand as they go into the pan, then stir in the olives, capers, and raisins. Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick, glossy, and spoonable, about 15 minutes.

Add agrodolce

Stir together the White Wine Vinegar and Granulated Sugar until the sugar dissolves, then pour the agrodolce into the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes more, just until the sharpness softens and everything tastes bright and balanced.

Rest caponata

Fold the fried eggplant back into the sauce, take the pan off the heat, and stir through the basil. Let the caponata stand for 10 minutes so the flavors settle and the eggplant absorbs the sweet-sour sauce.