Sicilian Eggplant Caponata

Written by on in Appetizer, Dinner, Side Dish, Uncategorized

This is a delicious vegetarian meal. You can serve it as the main course, serve it over pasta, or serve it as an appetizer as a brushetta-like topping for delicious, crusty Italian bread. I used Sicilian Eggplants, which are smaller, round eggplants that I find have a sweeter flavor than other eggplants. You can use any eggplant that you find.

This is a perfect make ahead meal. An hour before dinner, you can bring it out and serve at room temperature.

I prepare my eggplant by giving it a half-hour salty, water bath to remove some of the bitterness.

Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
Pin
Print

Sicilian Eggplant Caponata

Recipe by The Cooking LawyerCourse: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

45

minutes
Cooking time

35

minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Sicilian Eggplants (or any type of eggplant), peeled and cubed

  • 1 TBS salt

  • 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 bell pepper, diced

  • 2 stalks celery, diced

  • 4 TBS olive oil

  • 4 TBS red wine vinegar

  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped or sliced

  • 1/2 cup capers

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions

  • Fill a large bowl with water. Add 1 TBS of salt. Stir. This will help to take the bitterness out of the eggplant.
  • Peel and dice your eggplant into 1 inch cubes. Place each cube into the water bath. Let the cubes sit in water for half hour. I like to keep giving them a toss every five minutes or so that the pieces that float to the top still get the benefit of the water bath.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • While the eggplant is soaking, I cut my remaining vegetables. Start dicing your onion, celery, and bell pepper.
  • In a large pot, add 1 TBS of olive oil, onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook on low heat until bell pepper is softened and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Dice tomatoes. Add to pot with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until juice from the tomatoes begins to bubble.
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Take eggplant and strain water. Dry well. I like to wrap in a kitchen towel to get out the extra moisture. Then place on the parchment paper.
  • Using a pastry brush, take the remaining 3 TBS of olive oil, and brush each cube of eggplant with olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt.
  • Roast the eggplant in the oven for half hour, giving a toss after 15 minutes.
  • To the pot, add 4 TBS of red wine vinegar, kalamata olives, and capers.
  • Stir well. Continue to let the pot simmer on low heat while eggplant roasts.
  • Add crushed red pepper and eggplant to pot.
  • Cook for another 5 minutes to let all the flavors come together.
  • Serve over pasta, on its own, or over crostini crackers.

If you enjoy my recipes, please add your email address below: