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Yields:
5 c.
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Five cups of this classic Sicilian dish may seem like a lot, but when you realize it is the perfect condiment, toast-topper, pasta mix-in, and poultry and seafood accompaniment (among many other things), you'll be wishing you made double. To make this irresistible antipasti the best it can be, check out these tips:
- Baby eggplant, or small varieties of eggplant like Fairytale Eggplant or Chinese Eggplant are perfect for this recipe, as they contain less moisture than larger eggplant. Their skin is also tender and not bitter when cooked, eliminating the need for peeling. If you'd like to make this recipe with larger eggplant, we recommend peeling and discarding the skin, cubing the flesh, salting the cubes, and leaving them in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes. After draining, rinse the eggplant and dry completely.
- You may be wondering why you can't just sauté all the vegetables at the same time, instead of in stages. There are 2 reasons why taking the shortcut isn't worth it: first, your veggies will caramelize more if cooked separately, and secondly, cooking vegetables this way helps them maintain their unique flavor, rather than absorbing each other's flavor, like in a ratatouille. This is typical of a classic caponata.
- We highly recommend allowing the caponata cool completely before digging in. In fact, a full overnight stay in the fridge will yield a much more flavorful result, making this perfect for meal prep. (It'll keep about a week in the fridge too!)
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup
golden raisins
- 4
plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup
(or more) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb.
baby eggplant, cut into ¾” pieces (see note in introduction)
Kosher salt
- 1
medium sweet green pepper, such as Cubanelle, chopped
- 1
medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1
white onion, chopped
- 2
stalks celery, chopped
- 5 Tbsp.
white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp.
brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 Tbsp.
capers, drained
- 1/2 tsp.
crushed red pepper flakes
- 3
garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup
mixed olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup
chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp.
pine nuts
Directions
- Step 1Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place raisins in a small heatproof bowl.
- Step 2Pour enough boiling water over raisins to cover. Set aside.
- Step 3In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches, arrange eggplant in a single layer and cook, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to a plate; season with salt.
- Step 4Into same pot, pour more oil if needed and heat over medium-high heat. Cook green and red peppers, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes; season with salt. Using slotted spoon, transfer peppers to plate with eggplant.
- Step 5In same pot over medium-low heat, combine onion and celery and cover with a lid. Cook, removing lid and stirring occasionally, until celery is soft, about 15 minutes.
- Step 6in a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, capers, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp. salt.
- Step 7Add garlic to pot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Step 8Return eggplant and peppers to pot. Add vinegar mixture, raisins, olives, parsley, and pine nuts and stir to combine. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
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