Authentic home cooking from Italy, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Italy as Caponata 🌷

Caponata 🌷

Name: Caponata 🌷
Total time: 4500 s
Yield: Serves 4-6 servings
Ingredients: 2 eggplants; 2 stalks celery; 1 onion; 1 2/3 cups tomato purée and peeled tomatoes (about 400 grams); 1 cup green olives (about 200 grams); 3 tablespoons tomato paste (about 40 grams); 3 tablespoons vinegar (about 40 grams); 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (about 30 grams); 2 tablespoons pine nuts; 2 tablespoons capers; as needed Extra virgin olive oil,; as needed Fine salt and coarse salt,; as needed Vegetable oil for frying,

Francesca Simona Naselli @acasadifrancesca

Sicilia

Caponata is one of the most traditional dishes of Sicilian cuisine. Simple and delicious, Sicilian caponata isn’t just a side dish—it’s perfect for any occasion. Its aromas and flavors are a true symphony of Sicily.
The key ingredients are vegetables, especially eggplant sautéed in a pan with onions, celery, tomatoes, olives, capers, and pine nuts, all in a sweet and sour sauce. Absolutely delightful.
There are different varieties of caponata in Sicily, depending on the city: for example, in Catania, bell peppers are added along with eggplant, and in some towns, potatoes are included as well.

Francesca Simona Naselli @acasadifrancesca

Saved

Ingredients

75 minutes

Serves 4-6 servings

2eggplants
2 stalkscelery
1onion
1 2/3 cupstomato purée and peeled tomatoes (about 400 grams)
1 cupgreen olives (about 200 grams)
3 tablespoonstomato paste (about 40 grams)
3 tablespoonsvinegar (about 40 grams)
2 1/2 tablespoonssugar (about 30 grams)
2 tablespoonspine nuts
2 tablespoonscapers
as neededExtra virgin olive oil,
as neededFine salt and coarse salt,
as neededVegetable oil for frying,

Saved

Steps

75 minutes

1

Wash and dry the eggplants. Remove the stems and cut them into cubes. Place the cubes in a colander and sprinkle with a little coarse salt to remove any bitterness and draw out excess moisture.
2

After 30 minutes, rinse the eggplant cubes and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a large skillet and fry the eggplant in two batches.
3

Stir occasionally so the eggplant fries evenly on all sides. As they finish cooking, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
4

Wash and dry the celery stalks. Cut them into pieces and sauté them in a skillet with some extra virgin olive oil.
5

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion into small pieces, then add it to the skillet to sauté with the celery.
6

When the vegetables start to soften, add the capers (previously soaked in water) and pine nuts (previously toasted in a pan).
7

Sauté well, stirring often, then add the olives. Let the flavors blend, and after a few minutes, add the tomato purée and the peeled tomatoes cut into pieces. Cook for 10 minutes.
8

Add the sugar and vinegar, and mix well. Finally, add the fried eggplant.
9

Cover and cook until the sauce thickens. Adjust the salt to taste, then remove from heat.
10

Transfer the caponata to a serving dish and let it cool. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
11

Tips:
☑️ Store caponata in the refrigerator in a glass container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it or preserve it for winter in sterilized and pasteurized glass jars.
12

☑️ It’s also perfect as a pasta topping.
13

☑️ To keep the celery from staying too firm, blanch it before sautéing.

Saved

Cooksnaps

Saved

Francesca Simona Naselli @acasadifrancesca

Published in the US on September 27, 2025 14:01

Sicilia

Amo preparare piatti semplici e genuini per la mia famiglia e gli amici, perché per me cucinare è molto più che seguire una ricetta è un gesto d’amore e condivisione.La mia grande passione è fare il pane, specialmente la formatura, creare e portare in tavola qualcosa fatto con le proprie mani è una gioia che non ha eguali! 💕Il mio profilo Instagram @acasadifrancesca