Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

sicilian caponata

javancookie avatar
Recipe by
Pat DiMercurio
@javancookie
Saginaw, MI

Caponata has been a favorite in my husband's family for ages. This is good as an appetizer with crackers, or can be used as a main dish with some hearty Italian bread, good aged Asiago or Parmesan cheese and some shaved Italian meats like prosciutto and salami. If tomatoes just aren't looking real great in the store, I've used canned, diced tomatoes and they work well too. Use about 3/4 of a cup. You can use the tomato juice from the can as part of the water in the recipe.

yield 6 -8 servings
prep time 1 Hr
cook time 40 Min
method Saute

Ingredients For sicilian caponata

  • 1/2 c
    olive oil
  • 2 c
    diced celery
  • 1 lg
    eggplant, unpeeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 lg
    onion, diced
  • 1/4 c
    white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp
    sugar
  • 2 lg
    ripe roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 c
    water
  • 2 Tbsp
    capers, drained
  • 1/4 c
    pimento stuffed olives
  • 4 oz
    black olives, cut in half
  • 1/2 c
    raisins
  • 1/4 c
    minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp
    kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp
    freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried oregano

How To Make sicilian caponata

  • 1
    Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large, wide skillet over med-high heat. Add celery and cook,stirring often, until tender.With a slotted spoon, remove celey from pan and reserve in a large bowl.
  • 2
    Add 2 more TBS of oil to the pan and add eggplant, reduce pan to medium and cook eggplant until lightly browned. Add onion and continue cooking until onion is tender but not browned, adding more oil as needed, stirring often. Remove eggplant/onion and add to the reserved celery.
  • 3
    Place vinegar, sugar, tomatoes and water into the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Return the reserved vegetables to the pan. Stir in capers, olives, raisins and parsley; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and oregano, taste and add more seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until needed. To serve, bring to room temperature or heat slightly in the microwave. Serve with fresh crusty bread or crackers.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT