Sicilian sweet-and-sour zucchini with raisins, pine nuts and Tropea red onion, an easy and quick zucchini recipe and a delicious side dish, which at our house we also call Sicilian pan-fried zucchini, a real grandmother’s recipe from our cuisine.
Cheap, delicate in flavor, zucchinis are the queens of summer, they allow for a thousand preparations, and by giving free rein to imagination they always give us recipes that are delicious and tempting.
In this recipe, inspired by a classic dish from my land, the caponata, we will prepare a side dish, but also a very tasty and tempting appetizer featuring zucchinis. We’ll finish everything with raisins and pine nuts and create a sweet-and-sour flavor that makes them truly special.
Ready? Let’s run to the kitchen — I’ll tell you how to cook Sicilian sweet-and-sour zucchini and you’ll see how delicious they are. But first, if you want to stay updated on new recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.

Also take a look:

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very inexpensive
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 3
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Sicilian pan-fried zucchini with raisins and pine nuts: preparation…

2 zucchini (large)
2 Tropea red onions (or white)
1 stalk celery
1 oz pine nuts
3 tbsp raisins
to taste basil
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
to taste salt
(sunflower oil)

Tools

Bowl
Pan
Tea towel
Cutting board

Preparation

Wash the zucchinis, trim the ends and cut them into cubes.
Gather them in a bowl, add a tablespoon of salt, mix and let rest for ten minutes.
After that time they will have released a lot of water — rinse them and pat them very dry with a tea towel.
Fry them in hot oil until well golden, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper to absorb the excess oil.
Peel the onion and slice it finely, also chop the celery stalk and add them to a pan.
Sauté with a drizzle of oil and, if needed, add a little water.
When the vegetables are well softened, add the raisins and the pine nuts, then the zucchinis.
Pour in the vinegar and the sugar, stir and raise the heat.
Let the liquid evaporate completely and when there is no more cooking liquid, turn off the heat and transfer to a plate.
Let cool and serve after a few hours of resting, during which the dish will become even tastier.
If you enjoyed this recipe, also check out:
–Baked Sicilian caponata with peppers and eggplants;
–Couscous with summer vegetable caponata;
–Light stovetop caponata (not fried);
–Delicious light baked caponata;
–Original Sicilian eggplant caponata recipe;
–Original Sicilian caponata recipe with peppers.