Winter pumpkin caponata. Among all the autumn recipes I’ve made so far and among all the quick, easy and tasty pumpkin recipes, the pumpkin caponata deserves the place of honor for me! As a true Sicilian I love the Sicilian cuisine and its grandmother’s recipes and among these we certainly must include the eggplant caponata, which I would happily eat all year round even when eggplant recipes are out of season. Due to my unbridled passion for the traditional caponata, today I present the winter caponata made with pumpkin, a recipe that works wonderfully as both an appetizer and an exceptionally tasty side dish, and is also vegan and vegetarian! The winter pumpkin caponata is made exactly like eggplant caponata, but in this case without frying, because the pumpkin will be cooked in the air fryer or in the oven, making the dish a bit lighter. Let’s get into the kitchen: I’ll tell you how to make pumpkin caponata and you’ll see that you’ll love this recipe just like my daughter! Yes, because my daughter, a self-proclaimed hater of pumpkin and devourer of caponatas, appreciated this slightly different but equally delicious version of her favorite dish! Before we roll up our sleeves, I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).

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Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very affordable
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 5
Cooking methods: Air fryer, Electric oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring

Ingredients to make pumpkin caponata

2.2 lbs delica pumpkin (or a pumpkin with firm flesh)
2 onions (medium)
2 stalks celery
2 1/2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1 tbsp capers
1.4 oz Taggiasca olives (pitted or black olives)
as needed extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp tomato paste
as needed basil (if possible)

Tools

Air fryers
Frying pan
Pot

Steps to make pumpkin caponata

To make this recipe I recommend choosing a pumpkin with firm flesh; avoid ones that release too much water or become mushy after cooking. I like to choose delica or butternut, but chestnut pumpkin also works well.

To make the winter caponata, start by peeling the pumpkin, removing seeds and strings, and cutting it into cubes. Put the pumpkin cubes in a bowl, dress with a good drizzle of oil,
toss and place them in the air fryer basket. Cook for 20 minutes at 392°F, gently stirring a couple of times. Alternatively, bake in a preheated oven at 392°F on the fan setting for 25–30 minutes or until desired doneness, then season with salt. During cooking, avoid stirring too much so the pumpkin doesn’t fall apart. While the pumpkin cooks, prepare the rest of the ingredients: coarsely chop the peeled and rinsed onions, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and let them sauté over medium heat in a large pan. The onion should cook down and caramelize—stir often and be careful not to burn; if necessary add a little water to finish cooking.
Cut the celery and blanch it for one minute in a solution of water and vinegar (one glass of water and 30 ml of vinegar — about 2 tablespoons). Add the well-drained celery to the softened onion, then add the tomato paste, the remaining vinegar, the sugar, salt to taste, rinsed capers, olives, pine nuts (preferably lightly toasted in a pan) and raisins. Mix everything together and place over high heat.
Continue cooking until the vinegar has completely evaporated and its sharp taste has mellowed. Add the cooked pumpkin, mix and toss over high heat for a couple of minutes to let all the flavors come together.
Let it rest for at least one hour before serving: as everyone knows, the longer caponata rests the better it gets!