The Eggplant and Pepper Caponata, a traditional Sicilian recipe with seasonal vegetables, is an explosion of flavor, simple to make, and with strictly FRIED eggplants.
A typical dish that varies depending on where you eat it, and every family has its version passed down from grandmothers, each claiming their recipe is the original one.
Follow my recipe to get a rich side dish full of flavors or an appetizing appetizer. Serve it with some bread croutons or rosemary puffs, and everything will be just perfect.
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If you like eggplant recipes, here are some other ideas, and then right after the photo, we’ll discover how to prepare the Eggplant and Pepper Caponata!!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients for Eggplant and Pepper Caponata
- 2 eggplants
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 2.5 oz green olives (pitted)
- 1 oz salted capers
- 0.75 oz raisins
- 1 tbsp pine nuts
- 7 oz tomato sauce
- 1.4 oz sugar
- 0.4 cup vinegar
- to taste basil (fresh)
- 2 pinches salt
- to taste black pepper
Preparation of Eggplant and Pepper Caponata
To prepare the Eggplant and Pepper Caponata, first wash the peppers and eggplants, then trim them.
Cut the eggplants into cubes and place them in a colander sprinkled with salt to remove the bitterness.
Also cut the peppers, removing the white filaments and seeds, and soak the raisins in a little cold water.
When the eggplants have released their water, rinse and squeeze them, then fry them in plenty of hot oil.
Drain them on absorbent paper.
Meanwhile, slice the onion along with the celery stalk and cook them in a pan with a little olive oil until the onion becomes almost transparent.
Add the capers, drained and squeezed raisins, and pine nuts, cut the olives in half and add them to the pan.
Let it cook for a couple of minutes, then splash with vinegar, add sugar and tomato sauce.
Cook for 10 minutes, then add the peppers set aside.
After another 10 minutes, add the previously fried eggplants to the pan, finishing cooking the Sicilian Eggplant and Pepper Caponata for another 15 minutes.
Once cooking is complete, sprinkle with hand-torn basil leaves, and let the Sicilian caponata rest at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
How to store Eggplant and Pepper Caponata
You can keep it in the fridge well sealed in an airtight container for 2 days.
Other recipes
If you want to see other types of recipes, you can return to HOME
What to pair with Sicilian Caponata
Sicilian caponata pairs excellently with a young red wine or rosé wines.
What to eat with caponata
Perfect as a side dish to roasted meats such as low-temperature roast, or with baked or pan-cooked fish.
