caponata

Learn how to make homemade caponata with this recipe! This boldly flavored Sicilian appetizer or side dish is perfect for late summer meals. Recipe yields about 6 side servings.

Caponata

eggplants

½ teaspoon fine salt, divided, to taste

olive oil, divided

yellow onion, chopped

red bell pepper, chopped

celery stalks, thinly sliced

black pepper,

garlic, pressed

(14 ounces) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

green olives (ideally Castelvetrano), roughly chopped

red wine vinegar

capers, drained

honey

red pepper flakes,

bay leaf

¼ cup chopped fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley and/or basil

Homemade Crostini, optional,

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to it.

Place the cubed eggplant on the prepared pan. Sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and promptly toss to coat (some of the eggplant pieces will be more saturated with oil than the others, and that’s ok). Roast the eggplant in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway, until deeply golden.

In the meantime, warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and about 10 twists of black pepper. Cook until the onions are tender and just starting to turn golden, about 9 to 12 minutes, stirring often. 

Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, honey, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the roasted eggplant and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in most of the fresh herbs, reserving a small handful for garnish. Remove the pot from the heat.

Adjust to taste to find your desired balance of tangy-sweet-spicy-salty. Add more vinegar (by the tablespoon), honey (by the teaspoon), red pepper flakes (I like at least 1/4 teaspoon more, but I like spice), and/or salt (for more overall flavor). Transfer it to a serving bowl and top with the remaining herbs.

For best flavor, allow the caponata to rest at room temperature for an hour, or longer in the refrigerator. Serve warm or at room temperature (some even enjoy it chilled), with crostini if desired. Caponata will keep for about 5 days, covered, in the fridge. I suspect it would freeze well for several months, too.

Sue and I had Caponata for lunch today. I roasted my on Tomatoes and I had some frozen cubs of EVO/basil out of our garden. I didn't have and raisins so I added fig spread in place of the raisins and sugar.

It is one of the best recipes I has from your blog.
Thanks

Found this in my inbox when I was thinking of what to make for dinner yesterday and had everything to make it. This was so yummy! My kids loved it too. The heat was perfect with your measurements used. It will be on the rotation of meals for autumn!

Mine looks just like the photos.  I followed the directions except that I used olive oil spray instead of drizzling the oil, as it seems to coat the eggplant more thoroughly (and eggplant can take up an absurd amount of oil).  The mixture of flavors is delightful, and capers and green olives are essential.  I wonder if preserved lemon might add - just a thought.  My figs are just about ready, so I wonder if the suggestion of one commentator to use fig would be amazing as well.

Awesome recipe, no husband made this as a main meal served on rice and we had NO Leftovers!!!!!!!

Wow, tastes phenomenal.......looks meh.  I'm sure that's my struggle making things look good but.......wow

This is a perfect recipe!  I followed it exactly, including seasonings, and it is delicious!.. Even my husband loves it!  I find that this is the case with all of your recipes. The directions are clear and specific, the seasonings are perfect and the results reliable and scrumptious!  You are my "go to" for all vegetarian recipes.  Thank you!

A little work, especially if you accidently buy olives with the pits still in them, but very good.

A-MAZE-BALLS!! Made this and served it with cocktails with French bread and made GF Pita Bread for those who couldn't do gluten. It was a hit.. had leftovers for breakfast and have made another batch for the freezer. Thanks so much!!

Fabulous! I loved the colors and smells as I put this together for friends tonight. Never having had caponata, I used a flavored blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar and reduced the honey. Probably not authentic, but absolutely delicious!

Best Caponata ever and tastes even better the next day!  Used organic canned diced tomatoes instead of fire roasted as I wasn't able to find any in the grocery store.  Still turned out amazing.  Thanks for another great recipe Kate!

Thank you for this stunning recipe. I just prepared this for a group of four guests, and everyone asked for seconds! 

I replaced the raisins with added brown sugar as some of my guests dislike them and traded honey for sugar to make it vegan. I also used diced tomatoes because I couldn't find crushed and balsamic vinegar to add further tang. It was a hit! An excellent way to use up the last summer vegetables at your farmer's market.

This was a delicious recipe! I made it with the recommended crostini recipe. 
I'm not a big fan of capers, green olives or eggplant, but I've been trying to find meals that change my mind. This one certainly did! I'm sad that my spouse and I ate it all already. Thanks, Kate and Cookie for tying ingredients together to make something so yummy!

Another delicious eggplant dish.   The caponata is very good.  Thank you!

I’d never had this before making this recipe and it’s such a winner for me! 
Ps this is my first ever comment to a recipe, that’s how serious I am :)

I don't usually comment on recipes but this was amazing! 

I couldn't find fire roasted tomates so just used a plain tomato can and added a lot of cayenne pepper. I also didn't use all the vinegar recommended on the recipe but the dish was nevertheless delicious. Adding fresh basil at the end truly elevates the taste.

I'll make sure to check your website for future recipe ideas :)

I love love eggplant and had 2 in the fridge I needed to cook before going bad. Instead of my usual side dish of grilling, I decided to try making caponata for the first time and came across your amazing recipe. Oh my gosh, it was so delicious! I omitted raisins &amp; capers (not a fan) and added a splash of white wine (per another recipe I saw). This was so easy to follow and the flavors definitely melded the more I let it simmer. Thank you for this easy &amp; delicious recipe. It will be my new "go-to" =)

Hi Kate! This recipe looks fabulous, I will be looking for eggplant this weekend! I thought you would also like to know that the tomato originated from the Americas, in South America and Mexico. In fact, the word tomato comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec language), tomatl. Here is one link with some info: Glad to have found you, Cheers!!

I just made this tonight after dinner. The kitchen smelled so good that everyone came back to the kitchen to find out what I was making! I tasted after finish cooking and Oh My Goodness!!!! It is so good! This will go into my keeper’s recipe! The only thing I will change  next time is cut all veggies in the same size! Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤️

Loved this! I actually added it to marina sauce for spaghetti and added some tempe and it was perfect!

Sicilian caponata is a tasty salad or relish made of eggplant with onions, celery, and tomatoes and augmented with tangy olives and capers. It&#039;s best the next day, so try to make it ahead and store it in the fridge in a tight-lid mason jar. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Caponata Recipe

eggplant (1 ¼ lb

Kosher salt

Extra virgin olive oil

onion

red bell pepper

celery (thinly sliced)

Black pepper

tomatoes

capers

green olives (roughly chopped)

raisins

honey (more

¼ tsp to ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

dry white wine

parsley

mint

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.

Whip up our easy vegetarian caponata pasta in just 20 minutes. It's simple to make and packs three of your five-a-day into one delicious meal

Caponata pasta

olive oil(or use oil

onion,finely

garlic cloves,finely sliced

can chopped tomatoes

tbsp capers

tbsp raisins

rigatoni,penne or another short pasta shape

basil leaves,picked

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 8-10 mins until starting to caramelise (or for longer if you have time – the sweeter the better). Add the garlic for the final 2 mins of cooking time.

Tip in the mixed veg, tomatoes, capers and raisins. Season well and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins, or until you have a rich sauce.

Meanwhile, boil the kettle. Pour the kettleful of water into a large pan with a little salt and bring back to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender with a little bite, then drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Tip the pasta into the sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if it needs loosening. Scatter with the basil leaves and parmesan, if you like, and serve straight from the pan

Caponata is an Italian appetizer bursting with flavor! Eggplant and Mediterranean vegetables make a tangy, garlicky spread that's perfect over crusty bread. 

Eggplant Caponata

eggplant (2 medium)

celery rib

red onion

garlic

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

sugar

red pepper flakes

teaspoon kosher salt

Basil,

pine nuts,

Cut the eggplant into small cubes, about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. Dice the celery. Slice the red onion. Dice the red bell pepper. Mince the garlic.

In a Dutch oven or large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the eggplant, celery, red pepper and red onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 3 to 5 minutes until the eggplant and onions are browned and softened.

Add the crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, capers, and salt. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring once, until very tender. Taste and add another pinch or two of salt. Serve warm, garnished with chopped basil and toasted pine nuts. Or, chill for up to 1 day and serve cold or at room temperature (the flavors taste even better after refrigerating). 

Make something different for dinner with vegetable-rich caponata and cheesy polenta. It's healthy, gluten-free, full of nutrients and sure to satisfy

Caponata with cheesy polenta

courgette

aubergine

oregano

¼ tsp chilli flakes

pitted green olives

basil

instant polenta

milk

Heat the oil in a medium pan set over a medium heat, and fry the onion, courgette and aubergine for 5-10 mins, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, oregano and chilli flakes, followed by the tomatoes, olives and capers. Season to taste, then simmer, covered, for 20 mins, or until all the veg is soft and cooked through. Stir in the basil and taste for seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the polenta following pack instructions – you may need to loosen with some water or milk if it’s too thick. Mix with the parmesan, then spoon and spread over two plates. Top with the caponata and extra basil. Season.

Eggplant Caponata is a traditional Italian condiment of eggplant, tomatoes, and other vegetables and seasonings. This tasty spread is packed with flavor - sour, sweet, and salty all at once. Caponata can be used as a topping for bruschetta, sauce for pasta, or as a condiment for meats and fish.

eggplant

½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

onion,

celery,

garlic ((about two teaspoons))

15 ounce can diced plum tomatoes

kalamata olives, pitted and diced

red bell peppers, diced

Dice the eggplant into ½ to 1 inch cubes (skin on). Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of kosher salt over the eggplant and toss to combine. Place the eggplant in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant to remove the salt and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the diced onion and celery and cook for about 7 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.

To the skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the drained and dried eggplant and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Add in the onion celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, capers, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, and remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook until all of the vegetables have softened, about 20 minutes.

Let caponata cool to room temperature before serving, or cover and refrigerate and served cold. Stir in or top with fresh basil before serving.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/zzhjgi7c8ymbyi22s3jt

This Eggplant Caponata Recipe is the perfect traditional Italian condiment that's great for topping bruschetta, tossing with pasta, or topping grilled meats.

Eggplant Caponata Recipe

Moroccan-Spiced Caponata is a delicious North African twist on traditional caponata and the perfect way to enjoy late summer vegetables!

Moroccan-Spiced Caponata

Salt

(ribs) celery (finely chopped)

red bell peppers

cumin

coriander

Hungarian paprika

green olives

golden raisins

cilantro

salt (to taste if desired)

black pepper (to taste)

Toasted or grilled rustic bread

Place the cubed eggplant in a colander and salt it generously with approximately 2-3 teaspoons.  Let it drain in the sink or over a plate or bowl for approximately 45 minutes.  Pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture and salt.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5-7 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.

Add the celery and continue cooking, stirring frequently until very soft.

Add the eggplant to the skillet and cook until it begins to soften, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Add the red bell pepper.  Cook until beginning to soften 3-4 minutes then add the tomatoes.

Add the cumin, coriander, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes and give it a stir.

Add the vinegar, green olives and raisins.

Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Stir in the cilantro and season to taste with salt and black pepper to taste.

Let cool to room temperature before serving over crusty or grilled bread.

This eggplant caponata recipe is a delicious summer appetizer or side dish! My take on the sweet and sour Sicilian stew, it&#039;s fantastic chilled or at room temperature. We love it on crostini with fresh basil for garnish.

recipe Roasted Eggplant

sherry vinegar

½ medium yellow onion (chopped)

celery (diced)

red bell pepper (stemmed, seeded, and diced)

sea salt

tomato paste

tomatoes (about 4 medium, cored and diced)

cane sugar

black pepper

basil leaves (for garnish)

Crostini (for serving)

Roast the eggplant according to this recipe.

In a small bowl, combine the golden raisins, vinegar, and capers. Set aside for the raisins to soften while you prepare the caponata.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add the red pepper and salt. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, tomatoes, and sugar, and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, or until the tomatoes have cooked down and become saucy.

Add the roasted eggplant, raisins, vinegar, capers, and several grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring, for 5 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and season to taste.

Allow the caponata to cool to room temperature. We like it best on days 2 and 3, after the flavors have had a chance to meld. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

When ready to serve, garnish the caponata with fresh basil. Serve with crostini.

Easy eggplant caponata with white beans for added protein &amp; fiber! A satisfying, plant-based meal with just 1 pan and 10 ingredients required. Delicious with pasta, polenta, bread, potatoes, and more!

White Bean Eggplant Caponata (1 Pan!)

medium yellow onion, diced ((1 onion yields ~2 cups or 200 g))

eggplant,

garlic, minced

white beans, drained

water

pine nuts ((lightly toasted

Pasta

Polenta

crusty bread

potatoes

OPTIONAL: If your pine nuts are not toasted, you can toast them (for best flavor) by adding to a dry skillet and cooking over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent them from burning (it happens quickly!). Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside.

Heat oil in a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent — about 3-4 minutes. Next, add the eggplant, minced garlic, and salt. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add crushed tomatoes, white beans, water, raisins, and capers. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook (uncovered) for ~20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very tender and the sauce is thick and fragrant.

When the sauce has thickened and the eggplant is fully cooked, stir in the toasted pine nuts and optional basil. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, capers for zing, raisins for sweetness, or olive oil for richness.

Serve warm with toasted crusty bread or over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.

Best when fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop until warm, adding a little water as needed.

This is so so delicious! I made the recipe as written, except I used slightly less onion and I added some zucchini with the eggplant. We've made this twice in a week because we love it so much. Served with bread on the side. Love a one pan meal that tastes this good!

This came together so quickly! Had to make small adjustments: did not have capers or pine nuts so added a bit more salt (shrug emoji) and did not have raisins so used sun-dried tomatoes. Nom nom nom thank you, MB!

Not only is this dish super easy to make it’s SO good! I served it on polenta and it was a hit. 
I *almost* decided not to put raisins in- but let me tell you they added so much to the flavour, I highly recommend making this recipe as it is written. 
Thanks for yet another incredible recipe Minimalist Baker!

It was great, but even better with the authentic agrodolce/sweet n sour element. Then it was 10/10, I can't believe it's vegan. Served with well cooked rice to replicate polenta texture. Made a few subs as necessary but still in keeping with the authenticity. Omitted raisins/dried fruit, added 1.5 peppers and 1/3 cup cooked green beans to replace deficit aubergine (my large aubergine was 267g), agrodolce makes the dish - 1tbsp/12g honey and 2tbsp/30ml red wine vinegar cooked into the dish, 4 shallots instead of an onion, fresh oregano instead of basil, probably 1/2 cup spicy red pepper dip that needed using up, good pinch chilli powder,  1 pound fresh tomatoes blended with 2tbsp* tomato paste to amp up the umami factor, 1 good tablespoon of nutritional yeast for umami, slightly more beans because I cooked from dry and lastly roasted pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts.

This recipe  popped up in my inbox yesterday on a day where I really needed some dinner inspiration. It came together quickly and easily and is absolutely delicious, will definitely be making again!!!

Excellent, and I don't even like eggplant all that much! I did sub sunflower seeds for pine nuts, and unsweetened dried cranberries for the raisins, as well as some zuccini in place of half of the tomatoes, too much tomato upsets my medication-irritated stomach. Made enough to box up three servings to add to my don't-feel-up-to-cooking freezer stash. So many of your recipes are easy on the stomach, but full of essential nutrition, even on those days when I have no appetite and no sense of taste. I think they've really made the cancer treatments easier to tolerate. Thank you so much.

Eggplant Caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish with a sweet and sour flavor known as &quot;agrodolce&quot; in Italian. It&#039;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. 

Top 10 caponata recipes from across the web

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Caponata Recipe

Caponata pasta

Eggplant Caponata

Caponata with cheesy polenta

Eggplant Caponata

Moroccan-Spiced Caponata

Eggplant Caponata

White Bean Eggplant Caponata (1 Pan...

The Best Sicilian Eggplant Caponata

Top 10 caponata recipes from across the web

The most viewed caponata recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Caponata

Caponata Recipe

Caponata pasta

Eggplant Caponata

Caponata with cheesy polenta

Eggplant Caponata

Moroccan-Spiced Caponata

Eggplant Caponata

White Bean Eggplant Caponata (1 Pan...

The Best Sicilian Eggplant Caponata

The most viewed caponata recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine