Neapolitan cianfotta is a very simple yet flavorful vegetable side dish made with classic summer vegetables we have available during this season: eggplants, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes (also zucchini if you have them). It resembles other seasonal vegetarian dishes, like French ratatouille or fricandò, and is very easy to make. It can be served hot or cold, as a side dish or to accompany bruschetta. Try this recipe, it’s truly delicious!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 100.25 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 20.30 (g) of which sugars 5.22 (g)
- Proteins 2.97 (g)
- Fat 1.42 (g) of which saturated 0.20 (g)of which unsaturated 0.18 (g)
- Fibers 4.90 (g)
- Sodium 90.70 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 7 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
- 2 potatoes (large)
- 1 round eggplant
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 7 oz tomato pulp
- cherry tomatoes (to taste)
- 1 pinch chili pepper (to taste)
- extra virgin olive oil
- basil
- salt
Tools
- Pan
- Cutting board
- Potato peeler
Preparation
Clean the onion and roughly chop it, peel the garlic.
Sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of chili pepper if you like.
Peel the potatoes, slice them, and add them to the sauté (1).
Sauté for a few minutes, then add the eggplants, previously cut into cubes (2), and salt.
After 7-8 minutes, clean the bell peppers by removing the seeds and white membranes, slice them, and add to the pan (3).
Let them cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato pulp (4). Adjust salt, cover, and let cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender to your taste.
If you like, you can add some chopped cherry tomatoes towards the end of cooking.
At the end, increase the heat a bit if the sauce is too liquid.
The Neapolitan cianfotta is ready, turn off the heat and flavor with a few fresh basil leaves. You can serve it immediately or let it cool, which will make it even more flavorful.
Tips and Notes
If you have them, you can also add a couple of zucchini.
Instead of the pulp, you can use fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded.
You can flavor with other aromatic herbs to taste, like oregano or parsley.
You can leave the vegetables more or less firm, adjusting the cooking to your taste.
I recommend preparing the cianfotta in advance, as it becomes more flavorful after resting. You can serve it either hot or cold.
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