Caponata Recipe
User Reviews
4.9
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
45 mins
-
Servings
6 people
-
Calories
913 kcal
-
Course
Main Course, Salad, Appetizer
-
Cuisine
Italian
Caponata Recipe
Description
This Caponata recipe centers on eggplant that is cubed, salted to remove bitterness, then roasted until browned, yielding a tender but firm texture. The sautéed base includes yellow onion, red bell pepper, and celery, seasoned and softened before adding crushed tomatoes, capers, green olives, raisins, honey, bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and white wine. This mixture simmers to meld the sweet, sour, and savory flavors distinctive to caponata.
After simmering, the roasted eggplant is folded back in and cooked briefly to integrate well with the sauce. Fresh parsley and mint finish the dish, adding a bright herbal note. The flavor showcases a balance between sweet elements like raisins and honey and sour notes from vinegar, complemented by savory capers and olives.
Caponata is traditionally served at room temperature or cold, often alongside toasted Italian bread such as ciabatta, which can be brushed with olive oil and toasted until golden. It's commonly enjoyed as an appetizer, side dish, or antipasto. Letting the dish rest for an hour or chilling overnight enhances the flavor development.
Salting the eggplant ahead of time reduces bitterness and improves texture by sweating out moisture. If you have time, leave it for about 20 minutes before roasting. Toasting bread during the eggplant roasting step optimizes preparation time.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant 1 ¼ lb or so, cut into 1-inch cubes, large
- kosher salt
- extra virgin olive oil I used Private Reserve EVOO
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper cored and chopped
- 2 celery thinly sliced, small stalks
- black pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp capers
- ¼ cup green olives roughly chopped, pitted
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons honey more to your liking
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes to ½ tsp
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup white wine dry
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped, fresh
- 2 tbsp mint chopped, fresh
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season the eggplant cubes with salt (if you have the time, set it aside in a colander to sweat out its bitterness for about 20 or 30 minutes, while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat dry with paper towel).
- Place the seasoned eggplant cubes on a sheet pan, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tablespoons or so) and toss to coat. Roast the eggplant in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, tossing regularly until softened.
- Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, raisins, honey, bay leaf and crushed pepper flakes. Pour in the vinegar and white wine. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the roasted eggplant and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in the sauce. Finish with fresh parsley and mint.
Notes
- Salt the eggplant and let it sit for about 20 minutes to reduce bitterness and improve texture.
- Allow caponata to rest at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight for enhanced flavor.
- Serve with toasted Italian bread like ciabatta for a traditional pairing.
- Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast for about 10 minutes while roasting eggplant.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 913 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 91.3kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 2.2g | 4% |
| Fat | 1.3g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sodium | 228.9mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 435.4mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 4.7g | 19% |
| Sugar | 8.2g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 955.2IU | 19% |
| Vitamin C | 34.7mg | 39% |
| Calcium | 35.3mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1.2mg | 7% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
You'll Also Love
