Best Caponata Recipes

EGGPLANT CAPONATA (SICILIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

ROASTED EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Place the whole eggplant on the pan, prick with a fork in several places, and rub with olive oil. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool. Halve the eggplant, peel, and discard the skin. Place the eggplant, peppers, and olives in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour into a mixing bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, and add to the eggplant mixture. Add the parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice, capers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature with toasted pita triangles.

EASY CAPONATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add celery and cook uncovered until softened, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, red bell peppers, and zucchini and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add olives, raisins, pine nuts, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and cook until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat; stir in chopped basil. Cool and serve at room temperature.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the raisins, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook about 2 minutes, then cover and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. Stir in half the eggplant to coat evenly in the oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Eggplant should brown and tenderize but still maintain its shape.) Heat another 1/4 cup oil, then add remaining eggplant; season and repeat.
• While the eggplant cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. (You might not use all the pasta water.)
• Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shallot, pine nuts, capers, garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant, along with the sliced basil and vinegar.
• Strain the soaked raisins, discarding the soaking liquid, then add the raisins to the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste quite aggressively salty and tangy, but it will mellow when tossed with pasta and ricotta. (Eggplant mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Add eggplant mixture, pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pot. Toss to coat over medium heat until eggplant is warmed, adding extra pasta water if necessary. Divide among shallow bowls, top with ricotta and additional torn basil and serve immediately. Pass with additional olive oil for drizzling, if desired.

CLASSIC CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic cloves. sauté until eggplant is soft and brown, about 15 minutes. Add diced tomatoes with juice, then red wine vinegar and drained capers. Cover and simmer until eggplant and onion are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Season caponata to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in fresh basil. Transfer caponata to serving bowl. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. (Caponata can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, toss the eggplant generously with olive oil and salt, to taste. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is soft and mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve.
• Coat a wide deep pot with olive oil. Toss in the onion and crushed red pepper and season with salt, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the fennel, celery and garlic and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the zucchini, season with salt, to taste, and cook until the zucchini and all the veggies are soft and aromatic and starting to come together as a stew, about 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the eggplant, 1/2 cup of water and the tomato paste. Cook until the water has evaporated. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the mixture. Stir in the raisins, capers, pine nuts and mint. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
• Let cool and transfer the caponata to a serving bowl. Serve immediately or even better tomorrow or the next day.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Put a wide cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil to coat surface of pan. When oil is wavy, test by adding a cube of eggplant. It should begin to sizzle and brown immediately. Fill the pan with a single layer of eggplant cubes. Turn eggplant with a spatula or tongs and brown nicely on all sides. Lower heat as necessary to maintain an even temperature; if the pan is too hot, the eggplant will burn.
• Remove cooked eggplant to a plate and continue to fry remaining eggplant in batches, adding more oil as necessary. Season finished eggplant with salt and pepper. (Alternatively, roast the eggplant on a baking sheet at 400 degrees, lightly drizzled with oil, until cooked and nicely browned, about 20 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in blanched celery, tomato paste, capers and olives. Add crushed red pepper, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Gently fold in cooked eggplant and simmer 2 or 3 minutes more. Taste cooking juices and adjust salt if necessary. Let mellow for 1 hour at room temperature (or make it a day in advance for fuller flavor). Sprinkle with parsley to serve. The caponata will keep for a week, refrigerated.

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a large heavybased saucepan or casserole, place over a medium heat and add the aubergines. Cook for a good 15-20 mins until they are soft. Scoop the aubergines out of the pan - you should be left with some olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 mins until they are soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly, so they break down and turn to a soft mush, then add the aubergines back to the pan. Now put in the capers, raisins, celery and vinegar, season well and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 40 mins, until all the vegetables are soft. Stir gently so it doesn't break up too much; the stew should smell sweet and sour.
• When the caponata is cooked, leave to cool slightly while you make the bruschetta. Heat a griddle pan, drizzle the bread with olive oil and griddle until toasted and lightly charred on both sides, then rub with a garlic clove and season. Serve the warm caponata scattered with the basil leaves and pine nuts, with bruschetta on the side.

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH GRILLED CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Brush swordfish on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-well doneness. Remove from the grill and top with some of the Grilled Caponata. Serve.
• Heat grill to high. Brush eggplant, onion slices, and tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill the eggplant for 6 to 8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Grill the tomatoes for 2 minutes per side until charred and slightly soft. Remove the vegetables from the grill and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
• Place the vegetables in a medium bowl and add the olives, capers, raisins and pine nuts. Mix together the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and honey in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly whisk in about 1/2 cup olive oil until dressing is emulsified. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the parsley and toss, and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

GRILLED EGGPLANT CAPONATA BRUSCHETTA WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Brush the tomatoes and eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Grill the tomatoes until charred all over, about 8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and tomatoes from the heat and cut into dice.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large saute pan. Add the celery and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, chile flakes, a big splash olive oil, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil and parsley and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer the caponata to a bowl and keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. The caponata can be made 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring the caponata to room temperature before serving.
• Meanwhile, grill the bread on both sides until slightly charred, about 30 seconds each side. Remove the bread from the grill and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each slice of bread with some of the caponata and sprinkle with the ricotta salata. Drizzle the top of each slice of bread with more olive oil and scatter basil on top.

CAPONATA - CANNED

Steps:

• Heat 5 Tbs olive oil in stockpot.
• Add eggplant that has been cut into 1" cubes.
• Stir fry 10-12 minutes until golden and touched with brown.
• Add remaining oil, onions, garlic, and celery and stir fry 10 minutes longer until golden.
• Mix in all remaining ingredients, cover, reduce heat to moderately low and simmer 1 hour, stirring about every 10 minutes.
• Uncover and cook until very thick, about the consistency of chutney.
• Prepare 3 pint sized jars.
• Ladle caponata into jars leaving 1 inch headspace.
• Wipe rims with a damp cloth.
• Seal with lids.
• Pressure cooker can pints at 10 pounds pressure for 30 minutes.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Cook 1 chopped onion in a skillet with 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 minutes. Add 1 each chopped celery stalk and eggplant; cook 4 minutes. Add 1 chopped red bell pepper and cook 3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons golden raisins, some chopped oregano and 1/2 cup water; simmer 8 minutes. Add 1 cup halved grape tomatoes and 1 tablespoon each cider vinegar and capers; cook 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with torn basil.
• SERVES 6
• Calories: 138
• Total Fat: 9 grams
• Saturated Fat: 1 grams
• Protein: 2 grams
• Total carbohydrates: 14 grams
• Sugar: 7 grams
• Fiber: 4.5 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 199 milligrams

HALIBUT WITH ARTICHOKE AND OLIVE CAPONATA

Steps:

• For the caponata: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the celery and artichoke hearts and cook until soft and the artichokes are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives, and raisins to the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 25 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and capers and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For the halibut: Place a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. (If not using a nonstick grill pan, lightly oil the pan before grilling the fish. The halibut can also be roasted for 10 to 12 minutes in a pre-heated 400 degrees F oven.)
• Drizzle the halibut on both sides with olive oil. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill until the flesh flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Arrange the halibut on a serving platter and top with the caponata. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

CAPONATA PASTA

Steps:

• 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

EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Peel and dice the eggplants, peel and slice the onion, peel and slice the garlic, slice the celery.
• In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with the salt. Transfer the eggplant to a colander to drain for 2 hours. In order to facilitate the draining, top the eggplant with a heavy weight, such as a dinner plate topped with full cans.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and celery and sauté for 5 minutes more, or until the garlic softens but does not brown. Add the anchovies and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the paste turns a deep red, almost brown, and starts to stick to the pan. Add the vinegar and sugar and stir until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• In another large sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat until smoking. Add the eggplant and carefully toss it in the oil, letting it sear before stirring. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the eggplant is translucent and soft.
• Transfer the eggplant to the caponata mixture and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, until the flavors combine. Add the capers and their brine and stir to incorporate.
• Serve warm or at room temperature accompanied by toast points or crostini.

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Peel eggplants, leaving some strips of peel, then cut into 1-inch cubes and spread on half of a kitchen towel. Sprinkle eggplant with salt, then cover with other half of towel and weight with a baking sheet topped with 2 or 3 large cans for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring, until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery and cook, stirring, until onion and celery are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add olives, capers, and 2 tablespoons sugar and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir in vinegar and tomatoes.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. If sauce is very acidic, add 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar (to taste). Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered.
• Rinse eggplant in a colander under running water, then squeeze dry in small handfuls.
• Heat remaining cup oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant in 2 batches, turning occasionally with tongs, until tender and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer as cooked to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a large shallow serving dish in an even layer. Spoon sauce on top, spreading evenly, and let stand, covered with a kitchen towel, at room temperature, at least 8 hours (for flavors to develop). Stir before serving.

CAPONATA "AGRODOLCE" (SWEET AND SOUR)

Steps:

• In a very hot pan, separately cook the vegetables over a medium-high flame with a bit of the olive oil. Cook the onions and the garlic together in the same pan in a little more oil. Set all cooked vegetables aside in a large bowl.
• Make the "agrodolce": Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and reduce by half over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
• While vegetables are still warm, combine with the roasted peppers, olives, and capers. Pour the "agrodolce" vinegar over the vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped herbs and marinara sauce and stir.
• Serve the caponata at room temperature.

GRILLED CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat your grill to high. Brush the eggplant, onion slices and tomatoes with olive oil and season each type of vegetable with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Grill the eggplant for 6 to 8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Grill the tomatoes for 2 minutes per side until charred and slightly soft. Remove to a cutting board and cut into quarters.
• Remove the vegetables from the grill to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and add the olives, capers, raisins and pine nuts.
• Mix together the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar and honey in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the parsley and stir gently to combine. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.

FIG AND FENNEL CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch saute pan. Add the onions and fennel and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, figs, and brown sugar, stirring to coat everything with the tomatoes. Stir in the capers, olives, orange zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the orange juice and parsley. Taste for seasonings; the caponata should be very highly seasoned. Serve the caponata warm or at room temperature with slices of grilled bread.

CAPONATA PANINI

Steps:

• Preheat a panini grill.
• Using a grapefruit spoon or fingers, scoop out a 1-inch wide trough along the cut sides of the baguettes. Place 2 half-slices of the provolone cheese on each bottom half of the baguettes. Spoon 1/3 cup of the caponata on top of the cheese. Place the top halves on the baguettes and grill the panini until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the celery and eggplant and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, raisins, and oregano to the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, capers, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Season, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed.