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blue rimmed bowl filled with eggplant caponata topped with basil leaves
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Eggplant Caponata Recipe

Eggplant Caponata an iconic Sicilian eggplant recipe, distinctive for it's sweet and sour flavor. It is best served at room temperature and keeps well refrigerated for several days.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Sicilian
Keyword eggplant caponata, Sicilian sweet and sour eggplant
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 357kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Italian eggplants about 2 lbs
  • 8 tbsp. olive oil divided
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 4 large tomatoes (1 lb), diced
  • 1/2 cup green or black olives whole or pitted
  • 1-2 tbsp. capers
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • handful fresh basil leaves chopped or hand torn

Instructions

Salt the eggplant

  • Cut the eggplants into approximate 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, salt generously and cover with water. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, rinse and pat dry.

Cook the eggplant

  • Preheat oven to 400F and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Distribute the eggplant cubes in the pans and toss with 3 tbsp. of olive oil in each pan. Bake for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking.

Cook the remaining ingredients

  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium-high heat, add onion, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in celery, add a pinch of salt, lower heat, cover the pan and let the celery cook for 5 minutes.
  • Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in olives, capers sugar, red wine vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the roasted eggplant and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the basil.

Notes

Tips and suggestions:

  • If you don't have access to fresh, ripe tomatoes use canned diced tomatoes instead.
  • Green olives may substituted for the black olives.

How to serve Eggplant Caponata:

Another wonderful thing about caponata is that it tastes better at room temperature or even the following day. This is a dish that gets better with time, so you can definitely keep it in the fridge for a few days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
I enjoy Eggplant Caponata as a side dish but it is hearty enough to enjoy as a main dish alongside some fresh, crusty Italian bread.
Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 1063mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1730IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg