Italian CAPONATA Recipe 🍅 From Sicily’s Famous Appetizer to Pasta

eggplant

🥗Healthier: zucchini

💰Cheaper: cabbage

Zucchini is lower in calories and easier to find.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil offers similar health benefits at a lower cost.

balsamic vinegar

🥗Healthier: red wine vinegar

💰Cheaper: apple cider vinegar

Red wine vinegar provides a similar tang at a lower price.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: agave syrup

Honey is a natural sweetener with a unique flavor.

Slice or dice eggplants and cover with salt for half an hour to remove bitterness.

Heat a combination of sunflower and peanut oil to 170/180 Celsius (350°F).

Fry the eggplants for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown and perfectly cooked inside.

Sprinkle salt on the fried eggplants and set aside.

Chop celery into large chunks and add to a pan.

Add Datterini tomato sauce to the celery and sauté together for about 5 minutes.

Add vinegar and sugar to the pan after the tomatoes, then cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes until the onion and celery are tender.

Add previously desalted capers and green giant olives to the mixture and cook for about a minute.

Add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes, then dissolve sugar in vinegar and let it evaporate for half a minute.

Check seasoning and then turn off the heat, incorporating the fried eggplants into the mixture.

Taste for balance of sourness and sweetness, adjusting if necessary.

Prepare rigatoni pasta and mix with the caponata.

Finish with fried bread crumbs (muddica) and ricotta salata for garnish.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens