Servings
Font
Back
4.4 from 150 votes

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.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 334 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 20 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 5 for each vegetable
  • 1 1/2 /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 /2 cup Gaeta black olives or kalamata olives
  • 3 celery stalks chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 14 1/2 /2 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1/3 /3 cup red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 /2 cup fresh basil chopped or fresh parsley
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • crusty bread as desired

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Return skillet to heat, add olive oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes to allow them to caramelize.
  7. Reduce heat to medium, add the tomato and continue cooking for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
  8. 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.
  9. Turn off the heat, add the chopped basil and mix the caponata and then let it cool to room temperature.
  10. 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.

Nutrition Information

Serving 200g Calories 334kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 21g Sodium 360mg (15%) Potassium 529mg (15%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 759IU (15%) Vitamin C 37mg (41%) Calcium 34mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 334

% Daily Value*

Serving 200g
Calories 334kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 21g 105%
Sodium 360mg 15%
Potassium 529mg 11%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 759IU 15%
Vitamin C 37mg 41%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.