The authentic Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe is a sautéed eggplant side dish with tomato, olives, capers, vinegar, and almonds – or pine nuts.
My childhood was a delicious vegetarian adventure. Full of eggplants and Sicilian recipes: the ones my grandmother tough my mom to feed her only figlio maschio/son.
Eggplant nights were my favorite: cheesy parmigiana, stuffed eggplants, or pasta con le melanzane. And the queen of them all: la caponata! Served with crusty Italian bread and a salad, or with a cheese plate and a few bruschettas, the Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe was a delicious dinner saver for a vegetarian Italian family.
I found and adapted to my family traditions the authentic eggplant caponata recipe of a wonderful book I recommend, Sicilia in cucina: the flavors of Sicily. Their recipe has toasted almonds, but pine nuts are a delicious and popular choice too – and what my nonna and I preferred.
caponata recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 carrots
- 1 onion
-
1.5
cups
tomato passata
200 gr – 7 oz
- 1 cup of water
- 2 handfuls white (or black or taggiasche) deseeded olives
-
2
tablespoons
capers
- 3.5 oz peeled almonds (or pine nuts) 100 gr
- 3.5 oz raisins 100 gr
-
2
tablespoons
pure honey
- 6-8 basil leaves
-
4
tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
-
2
tablespoons
red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
Instructions
-
Dice the eggplants into medium/small pieces.
-
In a large skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat until golden.
-
Remove the almonds from the skillet and set them aside.
-
In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the eggplants and fry them (medium/low heat) until well cooked. This should take you 20-30 minutes, depending on how big the pieces are.
-
Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the carrots, onion and celery.
-
Remove the eggplants, add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and brown the onion. Add the carrots and celery and sauté them until tender - not squashy, about 6-8 minutes.
-
Add the tomato puree and the basil leaves. Mix and, if it looks too dry, add water. Cook 8-10 minutes.
-
Return the eggplants to the skillet, add the capers, olives, raisins, the toasted almonds, honey, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Mix and cook until the pungent smell of vinegar has vanished.
-
Add salt and pepper to taste.
-
Eggplant caponata is delicious when hot, but paradisiac when cold.
enjoy your caponata!
Claudia