Caponata

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish, full of flavors and colors. It consists of a side dish made with eggplant, paired with various vegetables and seasoned with a sweet and sour sauce. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 large onion
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 handful of green olives (better if pitted)
• 2 tablespoons of salted capers
• 30 g of pine nuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Fresh basil (a few leaves)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the eggplants, cut them into cubes and if you like, soak them in salted water for about an hour to remove the bitterness.
2. In the meantime, clean and cut the celery into small pieces and boil it in slightly salted water for a few minutes, until it is al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large pan, sauté the chopped onion in extra-virgin olive oil until golden brown.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, desalted capers, olives, pine nuts, and blanched celery.
5. In another pan, fry the eggplant cubes in plenty of oil until they are golden and crispy. Drain them on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
6. Add the eggplants to the sautéed vegetables and onion in the large pan and mix gently.
7. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and vinegar, then pour it into the pan with the vegetables.
8. Cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
9. Season with salt and pepper and add the hand-torn basil leaves.
10. Let the caponata cool in the pan and, if possible, let it rest for a couple of hours before serving, so that the flavors blend together better.

Curiosity

Caponata is a dish that is very well suited to being prepared in advance and even eaten the next day. Indeed, by resting, the flavors intensify, making the side dish even tastier. Moreover, there are many local variations of this dish, some of which even include dark chocolate or dried fruit.

Make sure, if you decide to serve it as an appetizer, to pair it with a good homemade bread or croutons to fully enjoy its richness of flavors.