Skip to Content

Eggplant Caponata

Eggplant Caponata recipe with tomatoes, kalamata olives, garlic, onion, and fresh herbs. A delicious condiment for chicken, beef, pork, or side dish.
Classic Eggplant Caponata | www.theroastedroot.net

Christmas cookie season is over, and we’re making our return to normalcy. President Warren Harding-style.

The return to normalcy starts with this eggplant caponata recipe.

Have you tried caponata before?

Eggplant caponata is an flavorful Italian/Sicilian condiment, typically served on a baguette, bruschetta-style.

Ingredients for Eggplant Caponata:

The basic ingredients of an eggplant caponata are eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, olives, and herbs.

From there, you can add sugar and raisins to balance out the brine-y tang, and add other ingredients to make it your own. A typical caponata is very oily by virtue of the fact that it’s served as a topper for bread.

I scaled back on the oil a tad, because let’s face it: I’m not wild about appetizers. Appetizers are just really bad food foreplay in my book. Gimme the meal, don’t tease me. And since we’re on the subject, the surest way of irking me is by using the term, “appy” or worse: “apps” ::shudder:: There was your daily lesson of What Not to Say in Front of Julia Lest She Uppercuts You. I’m really easy to get along with.

Spaghetti Squash Eggplant Caponata | Theroastedroot.net #vegetarian #healthy #recipe

There are many options for serving up your caponata. I enjoyed it best atop spaghetti squash, and also loved it mixed it up with rice and beans.

Make this. You will be so good at life.

Classic Eggplant Caponata | www.theroastedroot.net

Eggplant Caponata

A quick, easy, classic Eggplant Caponata recipe to use as a condiment or sauce on just about anything! Mix it up with pasta noodles for an incredible meal!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups olive oil, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, heat ½ cup of the olive oil to medium and add the chopped eggplant. Toss the eggplant to evenly coat in oil. Sauté, stirring frequently, until eggplant has browned, begins cooking down, and is soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Pour the eggplant into a bowl and set aside.
  • Place the skillet back on the stove and add ¼ cup of oil. Add the onion and celery and saute, stirring every couple of minutes, until veggies are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes (you want the eggplant to be soft, but still maintain its form).
  • Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together. Bring mixture to a full boil, reduce the heat, and allow the sauce to boil gently (uncovered) until much of the liquid has been reduced, about 15 minutes.
  • Serve hot over spaghetti squash, toasted bread, or serve cold. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days – the caponata tastes better the longer it sits!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving - Calories: 285kcal - Carbohydrates: 22g - Protein: 2g - Fat: 19g - Fiber: 6g - Sugar: 15g
Course: Lifestyle
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: eggplant caponata recipe, Italian condiment, Italian sauce, Sicilian recipes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 285kcal
Author: Julia
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Rachel

Monday 6th of January 2014

This looks simply fantastic; I can't wait to try it!

Carroll @Vanilla Lemonade

Sunday 29th of December 2013

I cannot resist eggplant- the dessert of vegetables!! Looks delish!

laurasmess

Saturday 28th of December 2013

I adore caponata. And I'm a huge bread fiend so I could totally imagine myself smothering this veggie goodness all over a slice of toasted ciabatta. Yum. But the spaghetti squash idea sounds fascinating, I've never eaten spaghetti squash (I don't think it's sold over here) but I want to track some down soon!

dishing up the dirt

Saturday 28th of December 2013

I could use this meal right about now! too much booze and heavy food. I'm an eggplant lover and this meal pretty much has everything I love in it! Pass me a fork

Dearna @tohercore

Saturday 28th of December 2013

Oh Im in desperate need of veggies (even those that arent so nutrient rich... Its better than eating leftover Christmas cookies for dinner, right? ;) This looks delicious!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.