The Traditional Sicilian Caponata, like any traditional recipe, has many variations depending on the area of Sicily where it is prepared. The most common difference is substituting cherry tomatoes with tomato puree or tomato paste. However, Traditional Sicilian Caponata is mainly based on separately fried vegetables and then sautéed with sugar and vinegar.
Then, the addition of green olives, capers, celery, and basil brings to life a side dish rich in humble tradition.
If you like eggplants, below are more recipes to prepare them in different and delightful ways. Then, right after the photo, we’ll discover how to prepare the Traditional Eggplant Caponata!!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients for Traditional Sicilian Caponata
- 1.1 lbs eggplants
- 3.5 oz onion
- 3.5 oz celery
- 5.3 oz grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
- 2.5 oz green olives
- 4 tbsps tomato puree (or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste)
- 1 tbsp salted capers
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsps white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 pinches salt
- as needed basil
- as needed peanut oil (for frying the eggplants)
Preparation of Traditional Sicilian Caponata
To prepare Traditional Sicilian Caponata, first clean the vegetables, trim the eggplants, peel the onions, and remove the filaments from the celery.
Rinse the salted capers to remove as much excess as possible and cut the grape tomatoes in half if they are small or into 4 parts if too large.
Cut the eggplants into small cubes and fry them in hot oil for a few minutes until they are golden brown.
Drain them on absorbent paper.
In a large pan that can also hold the eggplants, sauté the finely sliced onion for a few minutes, then add the tomato puree.
If you decide to use tomato paste instead of puree, add some tablespoons of water to dissolve it.
Now incorporate the thinly sliced celery, desalted capers, pitted olives, and grape tomatoes, cooking everything for 3 or 4 minutes.
Now just add the fried eggplants, a handful of basil leaves, and let cook for another 2 minutes.
Finally, deglaze with wine vinegar and sugar, letting it evaporate over high heat, and salt only at the end.
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How to Store Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
You can store it in the refrigerator for 3 days, well-sealed in an airtight container.
Other Recipes
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