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La Caponata is a traditional Sicilian dish made with fried eggplant in a sweet and sour sauce (agrodolce) with briny olives, capers, celery, onions and tomatoes. It’s full of rich flavour and perfect served as an appetiser on crostini or as a side dish to meat or fish.
Quick recipe snapshot
- Traditional Sicilian recipe using summer produce.
- Great for prepping ahead of time (tastes even better the next day).
- Easy to adapt and super versatile.
- Full of incredible, rich flavour!
Eggplant caponata is a classic Sicilian ‘cucina povera’ dish, one with many variations depending on what part of Sicily you’re in.
Although I’ve eaten caponata many times in Italy, it was a dish that was on top of my list of things to try during a recent trip to Sicily, alongside cannoli, arancini, involtini and granita, of course.
Sicily is a treasure trove of incredible food, and I can’t wait to return to experience more of it. This is our eggplant caponata recipe that’s reminiscent of the versions we tasted near Palermo, but I’ve included various traditional ways to adapt it so you can create your own family favourite recipe too.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Eggplant (aubergine) – make sure they are firm and ripe without much bruising. I recommend using 2 medium-large eggplant or 3-4 small ones.
- Tomato paste (concentrate) – We use Mutti as we just love the quality. You can also use tomato passata or plum tomatoes instead. Add more to your liking.
- White onion – white onions have such a delicious sweetness, but brown onion will also work just as well.
- Olive and capers – we use capers in brine and green Sicilian olives (you can choose whatever olives you prefer).
- Sugar and white wine vinegar – just regular white sugar is fine.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
Step 1 – Cut the eggplant into cubes (photo 1) and place it in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant under cold running water for a few seconds then dry it well with a clean kitchen towel.
Step 2 – Fry the eggplant in oil until lightly golden brown, then set aside on kitchen paper to drain (you’ll need to do this in batches) (photos 2 and 3).
Step 3 – cut the celery into small cubes (or slices of you prefer) and boil it in salted boiling water for around 7 minutes. Remove the celery from the water but don’t drain the liquid (photo 5).
Step 4 – Fry the onion for a few minutes until soft, then add the celery, olives and capers, then stir to combine.
Step 5 – Add the tomato paste and a little reserved celery water and stir to combine. Next, mix the sugar and vinegar together and add that to the sauce with the eggplant and some fresh basil. Cover with a lid and simmer (photos 8-10).
Recipe tips
Salt the eggplant – I have tried this recipe with and without salting the eggplant first, and I prefer to salt it. I find that the eggplant takes longer to fry and absorbs more oil without salting first.
Boil the celery – a lot of Siclian recipes do this and we much prefer it. One, it softens the texture of the celery, and two, it mellows the flavour so it isn’t so prominent.
How to serve caponata
Caponata is delicious served at room temperature as an appetiser or antipasto with some char-grilled crostini and other light nibbles like cured meats and cheese.
It’s also perfect served as a condiment or side dish to meat or fish. Our Italian baked chicken thighs, Breaded fennel pork tenderloin or Involtini alla Palermitana are all great options.
Variations
Pine nuts and raisins – this is a common addition in a lot of areas in Sicily. Add them in at the same time as the eggplant.
Bell peppers – red bell peppers are another common addition, and they’re usually fried alongside the eggplant. It’s really delicious and well worth trying.
Cocoa powder – Yes, really! This is a really unusual addition and is often found near Palermo. I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s on my list because I’m so curious. It must be unsweetened bitter cocoa powder, and usually 1-2 tablespoons are added to the agrodolce mixture before being added.
Other vegetables – caponata is a great way of using up leftover veg and can be adapted to the seasons. Other vegetables that can be added are potatoes (cut into small cubes), zucchini (courgette), and fresh tomatoes.
More delicious ways to use eggplant
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Eggplant Caponata
Equipment
- Colander
- Clean kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, aubergines, cut into medium sized cubes
- 2 celery stalks, washed and cut into small pieces
- 1 white onion, cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons (30g) capers, in brine
- 1 cup (95g) green Sicilian olives (we used Nocellara)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste, concentrate
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30g) white sugar
- fresh basil, (optional)
- Sunflower oil, or oil of choice, for frying
- Olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into medium-sized cubes and place in a colander. Sprinkle generously with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour, if possible. If you can, weigh it down with something heavy (we use a plate with our mortar and pestle on top).
- Meanwhile, wash and cut the celery into small pieces. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the celery and boil for 10 minutes. Remove it with a slotted spoon to a bowl and reserve the cooking water for later.
- Rinse the eggplant under cold running water for a few seconds, then dry it well with a clean kitchen towel. Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy-based pan at least 1 inch deep. Once hot, fry the eggplant in batches until lightly golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the sliced onion. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened, then add the celery, olives and capers. Next, add the tomato paste with 1 cup (250ml) of reserved celery water, stir to combine.
- Mix the vinegar and sugar together, then add that to the sauce alongside the fried eggplant and a small handful of fresh basil (if using). Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and uncover. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Leave to cool to room temperature before serving (it tastes even better the next day).
Notes
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for this recipe; I look forward to trying it. I love caponata yet so few people have heard of it. I lived in Paraguay where there are many people of Italian descent. One restaurant used caponata as a topping for pizza, together with cheese. Wonderful!