One of my favorite Sicilian recipes, this authentic eggplant caponata combines sweet and tangy flavors for the ultimate side dish. Make it ahead- it gets better as it sits!
Eggplant caponata is a combination of crispy fried (or roasted) eggplant, onions, celery, capers, and olives simmered to perfection in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce. It’s a classic Sicilian recipe.
At first glance, one could call it an “eggplant stew” or even a “relish” of some sorts. But simply put: eggplant caponata is a unique and flavorful side dish used to accompany grilled meats, fish and even pasta. I love it on sourdough bread crostini or sourdough focaccia with a shower of fresh parsley on top. Delicious.
Now, in your recipe research you’ll come across several variations of eggplant caponata. Some versions include raisins, red bell peppers, fresh mint and other seasonal ingredients. Delicious in their own right (although I prefer mine without the bell peppers- too overpowering!), the eggplant will always be the star of the show. There are no substitutions. My version is adapted from Fabrizia Lanza’s famous recipe, by way of David Lebovitz. It’s authentic as it gets!
Caponata Ingredients: You Will Need
- Olive oil
- Eggplant
- Celery
- Onion
- Green olives
- Capers
- Tomato sauce (homemade Sicilian-style or jarred, I like Rao’s)
- Red wine vinegar
- Granulated sugar
- Large handful or fresh green herbs, such as parsley or basil, roughly chopped
- Good sourdough bread or focaccia, to serve
Recipe Tips:
- Out of olives and capers? Try Tapenade instead! This is an excellent shortcut. Tapenade is a combination of chopped green or black olives, capers, olive oil (and sometimes garlic and fresh herbs). A few spoonfuls will do. I discovered this tip by accident when using a chunky, store-bought green olive tapenade from Whole Foods.
- Freeze your tomato sauce. When I make a big batch of my Sicilian tomato sauce, I portion it into small containers and freeze. I label them “For caponata only” so it’s always available. My authentic pomodoro sauce (fresh or canned) works too.
- Roast the eggplant. Authentic caponata calls for fried eggplant, which I love. But some prefer roasting it instead. This totally works. Just make sure your oven is hot enough to achieve the same effect, about 425 F will do. Do not over crowd the pan. The eggplant will steam.
- Make it ahead. Caponata can be made up to 1 week in advance or frozen. Add more fresh herbs to serve.
How to Make Caponata
To begin, the eggplant is cooked separately in batches. You can either deep fry it in olive oil or roast it for a healthier alternative. Either way, eggplant is like a sponge and it will absorb a good amount of oil no matter what. I’ve found that a shallow stove-top fry is a practical compromise while maintaining maximum flavor and easy clean up. It’s my preferred method every time.
After the eggplant is cooked, the onions and celery are sautéed in the same pan and simmered with chunky green olives, capers, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar and a bit of sugar until the flavors meld together. Then the fried eggplant joins the pan. The key to spectacular caponata is finding the right balance of sweet and tangy flavors, so taste and adjust with more vinegar or sugar as you go.
To finish, once the mixture is cool, I like to add fresh green herbs. Then, the caponata is chilled overnight to deepen the flavor. Caponata always tastes better the next day.
More Sicilian Recipes to Try!
- Quick Sicilian-Style Tomato Sauce
- Sicilian Potato Salad with Green Beans
- Easy Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto)
- Classic Italian Sesame Cookies {Reginelle Cookies}
Best Eggplant Caponata
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
An authentic side dish hailing from Sicily, this easy eggplant caponata recipe is the perfect celebration of late summer eggplant. The key is finding the right balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Can be made up to 1 week in advance and/or frozen. Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 lbs), cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 medium celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained
- 3/4–1 cup quality tomato sauce (if using jarred, I like Rao’s)
- 2–3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- Large handful or fresh green herbs, such as parsley or basil, roughly chopped
- Good sourdough bread or focaccia, to serve
Instructions
- In a large, high sided skillet (or Dutch oven) warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add some of the eggplant (you will be cooking in batches), taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until light golden brown on all sides. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat to cook the rest of the eggplant adding more olive oil as needed.
- In the same pan, sauté the onion and celery until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the olives, capers and tomato sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and the sugar. Add the eggplant. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar is needed. Continue to simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes depending on the size of the pan.
- Cool to room temperature and stir in a handful of fresh, chopped green herbs. Chill overnight to depend the flavor.
Note: Caponata can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the fridge. To freeze, portion into small, pint-size containers and store up to 3 months.
Keywords: Sicilian, easy, caponata, recipe, David Lebovitz, csa recipes, Italian, side dish, sourdough focaccia
Comments
Martin says
What a recipe! I really loved and enjoyed this recipe. Surely. I will make it once. Thanks for the great recipe.
Meredith says
I’m so glad to learn that I can freeze caponata! I’ve made this for years, in big batches, too much for the two of us. Over the years I’ve found that roasting eggplant in the oven with lots of olive oil is easiest.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Meredith! Same here! I can’t tell you how much I love caponata. And when you freeze it in small batches it’s perfect for two people. I’m going to save some for Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!
Jackie L Hardie says
This looks delicious! I too am growing my own eggplant and am always looking for new ideas. Question please. What kind of Mozzarella are you using? Is it fresh? Also, what type of green olives do you recommend? Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Jackie! I’m so curious: what variety of eggplant are you growing this year? We chose the “Early Black Egg” variety from Southern Exposure. I have to tell you, they are growing wild! We were shocked! Purple flowers and beautiful eggplants everywhere (our first time growing them and very excited).
To answer your questions: I prefer fresh Mozzarella for the bread salad. It’s excellent. And for the olives, I use a mix from our restaurant. But any green or even black variety will do. Try Castelvetrano green olives.They are delicious.
Sue Eckles says
Hi,
I want to make this recipe but I wondered if I should peel the eggplant first. Thanks!
Sue
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Sue! The eggplant is not peeled. However, if you want to peel it, I’m sure it will be fine.
Joanna says
I’ve been itching to make this since I first spotted the recipe on your site, and finally got the chance to give it a try tonight! What a gem. So delicious and simple. We had it with a loaf of your everyday sourdough and it was perfect. Thank you!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Joanna, I’m thrilled you made this recipe. Caponata is the type of dish you fall in the love with (if you’re an eggplant fan) especially with good bread. Loved that you served it with the Everyday Sourdough. Thanks again for your feedback!
KGL Staff says
I love this recipe, it’s fast and easy and tastes so good!! I had it yesterday and I’m having it today because it’s so good!!
★★★★★
Suzanne says
Thank you for this recipe. I am excited to try it with the baguettes from you book. Your book was my top pick from the library during quarantine. I think I checked out about 10 different sourdough books, but kept coming back to this one for its simplicity and results. When the library finally reopened I sadly returned it, but now own my very own copy. My family has fallen in love with good, healthy bread. Thanks so much.
★★★★★