Light caponata is the version of caponata that filled my life in my parents’ home.
My mom loved a cuisine that didn’t involve heavy frying or excessive use of fats, so she always came up with ways to bring dishes to the table made with lighter cooking methods, yet always aiming for tasty and flavorful dishes.
For this reason, except for major holidays, if we wanted to prepare caponata, we made it as I will now describe to you.
I assure you, just to avoid any misunderstanding, that it is truly excellent. Eating it, none of us at home thought we had to settle for what was presented, but we looked forward to it with real pleasure. And at home, we are all people who love well-made dishes.
The ingredients were typical of caponata, but potatoes were added, as we from the province of Catania often prefer to do.
Out of habit, when my mother made this version, she did not add green olives, something she did when preparing the caponata everyone knows.
So I don’t put them either, but of course, nothing stops you from adding a handful to taste.
This caponata, like the traditional one, is excellent as an appetizer, as a side dish, or as a dinner-saving dish.
I invite you to trust me and try this recipe, which certainly does not aim to replace the recipe as per protocol, but rather proposes itself as a valid alternative to save fats at the table and also time!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
- Energy 178.18 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.76 (g) of which sugars 7.67 (g)
- Proteins 3.43 (g)
- Fat 10.51 (g) of which saturated 1.31 (g)of which unsaturated 2.79 (g)
- Fibers 5.05 (g)
- Sodium 225.29 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 180 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 onion (dry)
- 1 eggplant (purple)
- 2 bell peppers (red)
- 2 potatoes
- 1.4 oz almonds
- 0.7 oz capers (salted)
- 1.1 oz raisins
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 cup tomato puree
- pinches salt
- 5 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar (1 and a half tablespoons)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- to taste basil (fresh)
- to taste green olives (pitted, optional)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Pan non-stick
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Knife for vegetables
- 1 Pan non-stick 12-inch diameter with lid or oven pans
Steps
To prepare the light caponata, start by cleaning the eggplant by cutting off the stem and a strip of skin running all around it.
Then cut it into cubes and place it in a large bowl with well-salted water.
Place a small plate topped with a weight over the eggplant cubes, to keep them all under the water level.
Leave them like this for at least half an hour.
Meanwhile, if your almonds have skins, place a pot of water on the stove.
When it begins to boil, pour the almonds in and as soon as it starts boiling again, turn off the heat and leave them in the water for at least 5 minutes.
After that time, rinse with cold water and peel the almonds.
Put a non-stick pan on the stove, when hot pour in the almonds and over moderately high heat wait for them to toast, always moving the pan to avoid burning them on any side.
When evenly golden, transfer them to a cutting board and chop them with a vegetable knife.
In a bowl, cover the raisins with warm water and in another, soak the capers in cold water after rinsing them under running water.
With a mandoline, slice the onion and place it in the non-stick pan we will use for cooking the caponata.
Wash the bell peppers, remove the stem, cut them into slices, and then remove the seeds and internal filaments.
Cut into pieces and add them to the onion.
Remove the eggplant soaking water, rinse, and after squeezing them, add them to the pan.
Continue with the potatoes, washing, peeling, and cutting them into cubes.
Clean a stalk of celery, remove leaves and filaments, and cut it into more or less thin pieces, according to taste.
Pour the puree and salt into the pan without exaggerating.
Before going on the stove, add the toasted almonds, capers, and drained raisins.
If you like, add a handful of pitted and roughly chopped green olives.
You can pour the indicated amount of oil into the pan at this stage, or as I do, you can add it halfway through cooking.
Place over heat without stirring, covering with a wide lid.
Over moderately high heat, bring to a boil, then remove the lid and gently stir.
Then close again with the lid, but leaving a lateral vent and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, especially when the water initially released by the vegetables is about to dry up.
When needed, add water, a little at a time.
After about 20 minutes, add the oil and stir.
After 40 / 45 minutes, if all the vegetables are cooked, adjust the salt.
Then add a tablespoon and a half of red wine vinegar to the pan, which can be replaced with white wine vinegar for a more delicate hint.
Finish with a tablespoon of sugar, stir and let the vinegar evaporate over the heat for a few minutes.
Off the heat, scent the caponata with some fresh basil leaves.
The light caponata is now ready.
It’s even better if enjoyed after it has rested for a few hours and even more so the following day.
Once cold, place the light caponata in an airtight container and store in the fridge for two or three days. It can also be frozen, but I recommend dividing it into portions first.
Once cold, place the light caponata in an airtight container and store in the fridge for two or three days. It can also be frozen, but I recommend dividing it into portions first.
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