I consider caponata to be Sicily’s answer to France’s ratatouille. It’s hearty, delicious, healthy and bursting with late-summer Mediterranean flavors. It’s also a great dish to make when you want a satisfying, rustic vegetarian meal that doesn’t have beans in it. There are a gazillion variations to caponata – many people use raisins, others add olives, some folks omit the pine nuts (not me), etc. I’ve even seen recipes that call for unsweetened cocoa! At the end of the day, the only musts are the eggplant, olive oil and herbs, the rest is up to you.
It pairs wonderfully with crusty (gluten free) bread, but you could also just toss it into some pasta or serve with a grain like couscous or quinoa. Caponata is also really nice served on little crostinis as an appetizer.
- 2 eggplants, diced and salted with 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp + 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red pepper, roasted, skinned and diced
- 3 medium tomatoes, roasted in the oven (see recipe)
- 3 tbsp dried cranberries/cherries/raisins
- 12 black olives, pitted
- 3 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp parsley and basil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 fillets of anchovies, chopped finely (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute diced and salted eggplant in 3 tbsp olive oil for 15-20 minutes over medium heat, tossing regularly. The eggplant should be golden and cooked through. While cooking, it will absorb all the oil, but don’t add anymore: if you let it cook long enough, some of the absorbed oil will come back out of the eggplant.
- Add, roasted tomatoes and red peppers. Combine well.
- Add dried fruit, capers, anchovies, olives, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover and set aside for an hour to cool.
- Once cooled, you can either store in the fridge for up to 24 hours or serve right away garnished with toasted pine nuts and parsley on top
