Caponata: a kitchen method

A bowl of eggplant caponata served with olives, cured meats and bread.

This caponata recipe is a sweet and savory blend of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and olives, all simmered together to create a tasty appetizer or side dish option. A unique offering that’s straightforward to make and is sure to get rave reviews!

When I’m looking for a party snack that everyone will love, I turn to appetizer recipes such as a mezze platter, mini quiches or this vibrant and flavorful eggplant caponata.

Whenever I see caponata on the menu at a restaurant, I have to order it. I just love the complex flavors, especially when served over a piece of toasted bread! I’ve since learned to make this dish from Italy at home, and it happens to be quite unfussy to put together.

Caponata Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need eggplant, olive oil, salt, black pepper, red onion, red bell pepper, celery, garlic, capers, olives, tomatoes, raisins, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, pine nuts and fresh herbs.

Bowls of ingredients including diced vegetables, olives, raisins and seasonings.

How Do You Make Caponata?

Start by cutting an eggplant into cubes and roasting it in the oven until golden brown. Heat olive oil in a pan, then add diced red onions, celery and red bell peppers, and cook until the veggies are tender. Next, add the roasted eggplant along with tomatoes, raisins, olives, capers and seasonings. Let everything simmer until the mixture is thickened. Stir in fresh herbs along with toasted pine nuts, then serve or refrigerate for later use. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Olives, vegetables and capers in a skillet.

Tips For the Reliable Dish

Feel free to prepare this dish up to 3 days in advance. Eggplant relish actually tastes finest if you let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This gives the flavors time to meld.
You can use any herbs you like to finish the dish. The most common choices are fresh parsley, mint, basil or some combination of those herbs.
The finished dish should take on an almost jam-like consistency. Don’t be afraid to cook the mixture until you reach the reliable level of thickness.
You can freeze caponata for up to 2 months. Simply thaw the dish overnight in the fridge, then reheat over low heat on the stove until everything is warm and any excess water has evaporated.

Quick Tip

You can garnish your caponata with extra pine nuts and sprigs of fresh herbs for an elegant presentation.

Recipe FAQs

What is caponata?

Caponata is an eggplant dish where this vegetable is browned and combined with other ingredients including tomatoes, onion, celery, olives and capers. This dish always contains a sweet element such as raisins, honey or sugar. Traditionally people would serve caponata as a main course, but in modern times people serve it as a side dish alongside a protein, or as an appetizer with bread.

What is the difference between caponata and ratatouille?

Caponata and ratatouille contain similar ingredients such as eggplant, tomatoes bell peppers and onions. Ratatouille is served hot as a side dish or vegetarian main course. Caponata is served room temperature or cold as more of a salad or spread, and contains extra ingredients such as raisins, pine nuts and olives.

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How To Serve Caponata

While this dish is most often an appetizer with crostini, I actually like to offer it in numerous ways.

Pizza: Dress up a plain cheese pizza by adding dollops of caponata over the top after it comes out of the oven.
Pasta: This dish makes for a great pasta sauce. Toss it with penne or spaghetti and serve as-is or with grilled chicken on top.
Sandwiches: Create the signature vegetarian sandwich by spreading caponata onto an Italian style roll and adding slices of fresh mozzarella and a handful of greens such as arugula.
Topping: Spoon this eggplant over grilled chicken tenders, sirloin steak or grilled swordfish to make your meal extra special.

A serving bowl of caponata topped with fresh parsley.

This dish is absolutely loaded with flavor, and I find myself making it on a regular basis. It’s just that good!

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Caponata Video

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen A bowl of eggplant caponata served with olives, cured meats and bread.

This caponata recipe is a sweet and savory blend of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and olives, all simmered together to create a tasty appetizer or side dish option. A unique offering that's straightforward to make and is sure to get rave reviews! Time Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant cut into 3/4 inch pieces
6 tablespoons olive oil divided use
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup red onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
1/2 cup celery diced
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1/4 cup green olives chopped
2 tablespoons capers drained
1 1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes do not drain
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
2 tablespoons chopped herbs such as parsley, mint or basil
cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
Place the eggplant on the sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggplant is tender and browned.
While the eggplant is in the oven, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the red onion, red bell pepper and celery to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the olives, capers, raisins, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Add the cooked eggplant to the pan. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 10-15 minutes or until mixture has thickened and has a jam-like consistency. Stir in the pine nuts and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot, at room temperature, or you can refrigerate it and serve it cold. Caponata will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

This dish can be made up to 3 days before you plan to serve it, and it actually tastes finest if you let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This gives the flavors time to meld.
You can use any herbs you like to finish the dish. The most common choices are parsley, mint, basil or some combination of those herbs.
The finished dish should take on an almost jam-like consistency. Don’t be afraid to cook the mixture until you reach the reliable level of thickness.