Go Back
–+ servings
A bowl of eggplant caponata served with olives, cured meats and bread.
Print

Caponata

This caponata recipe is a sweet and savory blend of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and olives, all simmered together to create a delicious appetizer or side dish option. A unique offering that's easy to make and is sure to get rave reviews!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Calories 224kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1 pound eggplant cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil divided use
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup red onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 cup celery diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup green olives chopped
  • 2 tablespoons capers drained
  • 1 1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes do not drain
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
  • 2 tablespoons chopped herbs such as parsley, mint or basil
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
  • Place the eggplant on the sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggplant is tender and browned.
  • While the eggplant is in the oven, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
  • Add the red onion, red bell pepper and celery to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the olives, capers, raisins, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and tomatoes. Stir to combine.
  • Add the cooked eggplant to the pan. Stir and bring to a simmer.
  • Cook for 10-15 minutes or until mixture has thickened and has a jam-like consistency. Stir in the pine nuts and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve hot, at room temperature, or you can refrigerate it and serve it cold. Caponata will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

  1. This dish can be made up to 3 days before you plan to serve it, and it actually tastes best if you let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This gives the flavors time to meld.
  2. You can use any herbs you like to finish the dish. The most common choices are parsley, mint, basil or some combination of those herbs.
  3. The finished dish should take on an almost jam-like consistency. Don’t be afraid to cook the mixture until you reach the perfect level of thickness.

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg