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The Best Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
Eggplant Caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish with a sweet and sour flavor known as "agrodolce" in Italian. It's a rustic eggplant salad made with olives, tomatoes, celery, pine nuts, raisins and plenty of other flavorful ingredients. This traditional eggplant caponata recipe makes a wonderful antipasto, side dish or condiment to go along with your favorite Italian meals.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 1 quart
Calories: 1088 kcal
Course:
Appetizer
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes
- salt to taste
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 celery ribs thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- 2 plum tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced (or 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes)
- 1 cup Castelvetrano or other green olives pitted and roughly chopped
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup capers drained and rinsed (don't skip the rinse!)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup roughly chopped basil leaves
- 2 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley leaves
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts toasted until golden and cooled
Notes
- If it’s too hot to turn on the stove, you can pan fry the eggplant instead with a little bit of oil.
- If using large eggplant, you may want to peel them before roasting as the skins can get tough and bitter. Smaller eggplants tend to have mild-tasting and softer skins that don’t need to be peeled.
- While you could eat this dish warm, the flavors come out and shine when served at room temperature, and it tastes even better the next day.
- If you want to make your caponata spicy, add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes or some chopped long hot peppers.
Nutrition Information
Calories
1088kcal
(54%)
Carbohydrates
166g
(55%)
Protein
23g
(46%)
Fat
47g
(72%)
Saturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
14g
Monounsaturated Fat
22g
Cholesterol
0.4mg
(0%)
Sodium
3822mg
(159%)
Potassium
3745mg
(107%)
Fiber
42g
(168%)
Sugar
108g
(216%)
Vitamin A
2623IU
(52%)
Vitamin C
62mg
(69%)
Calcium
306mg
(31%)
Iron
9mg
(50%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1quart
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1088
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1088kcal | 54% |
| Carbohydrates | 166g | 55% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 47g | 72% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 14g | 82% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 22g | 110% |
| Cholesterol | 0.4mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 3822mg | 159% |
| Potassium | 3745mg | 80% |
| Fiber | 42g | 168% |
| Sugar | 108g | 216% |
| Vitamin A | 2623IU | 52% |
| Vitamin C | 62mg | 69% |
| Calcium | 306mg | 31% |
| Iron | 9mg | 50% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.