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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Eggplant Caponata

Published: Aug 25, 2018 · Modified: Feb 19, 2021 by Coley · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Eggplant Caponata is a classic Sicilian dish made with eggplant, olives, tomatoes, celery and lots of other flavorful ingredients. It's a cooked salad or relish with a sweet and sour flavor, known as "agrodolce" in Italian.

My garden is exploding with eggplant right now, which is funny, because it's just about the only thing it's exploding with. Typically this time of year I've got tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and more coming out of my ears. While I've gotten a few cukes, a decent amount of chilies, and of course there are still tomatoes, my garden has seen far better seasons. I chalk it up to a few things: a late start, an excitable yet destructive puppy, as well as a complete and utter lack of time and attention. 

I always throw a few eggplant seedlings in the ground, but they never usually produce more than a couple fruits each. This year, however, for a reason unbeknownst to me, my eggplants are performing better than anything else in the garden, and better than they ever have. Had I known, I would have planted more than two, but the garden is funny like that. Always full of surprises.

Closeup of eggplant caponata in a green serving bowl with spoon.EGGPLANT CAPONATA | Traditional recipe for Sicilian eggplant relish. Sweet, sour, salty and so delicious! #Sicilian #eggplant #agrodolce #recipe #salad #relish | ColeyCooks.com

I love eggplant. It's one of my favorite summer vegetables because it's so versatile and meaty. You can serve it as a side or make a whole meal out of it, like with eggplant parm or moussaka. In the case of eggplant caponata, it becomes a multitude of different things - a salad, a side dish or a condiment. It's wonderful slathered on a piece of toasted or grilled bread, as part of a big antipasto spread, as an accompaniment to grilled meats and fish, or eaten hurriedly right out of the container with the fridge door open. As much as I'd like to admit to eating it in a more sophisticated manner, the latter always seems to be the way I enjoy it most frequently.

I first made eggplant caponata when I was a student at LSU and my Italian class threw a "festa"on campus. Most parties in Louisiana revolve around food, so it made perfect sense for this one to be a potluck. I decided to make caponata to honor my Sicilian roots, and I was really proud of how it turned out. I remember standing around the party, when my professor came up to me and said, "YOU made the capponata? It's WONDERFUL." She was a tough, brutally honest Italian woman, so hearing this was incredibly validating. I was still a very novice cook at the time, and it gave me a lot confidence in my abilities.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA | Traditional recipe for Sicilian eggplant relish. Sweet, sour, salty and so delicious! #Sicilian #eggplant #agrodolce #recipe #salad #relish | ColeyCooks.comEGGPLANT CAPONATA | Traditional recipe for Sicilian eggplant relish. Sweet, sour, salty and so delicious! #Sicilian #eggplant #agrodolce #recipe #salad #relish | ColeyCooks.com

Fast forward a few years and I started making caponata again, but I could never get the recipe quite right. I had zero recollection of how I made it for my Italian class, and I made numerous attempts to get what I was after with little luck. Then one day I saw a recipe for caponata appear on Smitten Kitchen, which had been adapted from a recipe in Saveur magazine. These were both sources that I knew and trusted - so I had to give it a try. Bingo. This was exactly the caponata I'd been searching for.

I made a few of my own changes, naturally. Caponata is one of those dishes that's made differently by just about everyone depending on their own personal preferences. For me that means adding garlic, no peppers, using garden-grown tomatoes instead of canned, my favorite castelvetrano olives, and a few extra pine nuts. I also opt to bake the eggplant rather than fry it, because it's a thousand times easier and works just as well.

Caponata captures the essence of late summer so well. It's sweet and sour - what they call "agrodolce" in Italian, but it's also salty, smooth, creamy, crunchy, and really just so satisfying in every way. The recipe makes quite a bit, so I like to keep it on hand for easy snacking and jazzing up quick, flavorful meals. This is by no means what I'd consider a difficult recipe - it's a rustic, peasant dish after all - but it can be a bit time consuming to make. Don't let that deter you - it's absolutely worth the effort.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA | Traditional recipe for Sicilian eggplant relish. Sweet, sour, salty and so delicious! #Sicilian #eggplant #agrodolce #recipe #salad #relish | ColeyCooks.com

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Print

Caponata

Closeup of eggplant caponata in a green serving bowl with spoon.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

Eggplant Caponata is a classic Sicilian dish made with eggplant, olives, tomatoes, celery and lots of other flavorful ingredients. It's a cooked salad or relish with a sweet and sour flavor, known as "agrodolce" in Italian. Adapted loosely from Deb Perelman.

  • Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 quart 1x
  • Category: appetizer
  • Method: mixed
  • Cuisine: Sicilian

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1⁄4 cup water
  • 2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (or 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes)
  • 1 cup Castelvetrano or other green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1⁄2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1⁄3 cup golden raisins
  • 1⁄4 cup capers, drained and rinsed (don't skip the rinse!)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley leaves
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted until golden and cooled

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.* (see note)
  2. Toss the eggplant with ½ cup olive oil, then spread out into an even layer on the sheet pans. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes, tossing once about half way through to ensure even browning. In the meantime, prep the rest of your ingredients. Transfer the browned eggplant to paper towels to drain, then sprinkle with salt.
  3. Heat a medium-large pot or high-sided skillet over medium heat, then add the remaining 3 tablespoon olive oil and the onions and celery. Season with salt, then cook until just starting to lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook for one minute more, then add tomato paste and water. Cook until the water has mostly evaporated and the tomato baste starts to caramelize. Add the tomatoes, then simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the olives, capers, vinegar, raisins and sugar, then cook until thickened, about another 15 minutes. Be sure to give it a stir every so often to prevent the bottom from burning. Turn off the heat, then add the eggplant, basil, parsley and pine nuts. Stir until everything is well combined, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Let cool to room temperature, then serve.
  5. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

  • *Too hot to turn on the oven? You can pan fry the eggplant instead, which is more traditional (but a lot messier and more work in my opinion).

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 470
  • Sugar: 26.7 g
  • Sodium: 1069.9 mg
  • Fat: 34.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 42.2 g
  • Protein: 5.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: caponata, eggplant, appetizer, dip, spread, salad, capers, raisins, Sicilian

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review and star rating ⭐️ to help other cooks!

EGGPLANT CAPONATA | Traditional recipe for Sicilian eggplant relish. Sweet, sour, salty and so delicious! #Sicilian #eggplant #agrodolce #recipe #salad #relish | ColeyCooks.com

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  1. Peter Caporilli

    August 26, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    Caporilli Caponata is a staple in our home. Sara and I are anxious to try this recipe as we are drowning in eggplant from her father’s farm!

    Peter

    Reply
  2. Kattysiu

    May 15, 2019 at 12:14 am

    Very tasty and flavorful but lot of work.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Coley

      July 19, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      I agree, but think it's worth it.

      Reply
  3. Gale

    July 27, 2019 at 9:15 pm

    Looking forward to trying this recipe. Do you peel the eggplant?

    Reply
    • Coley

      July 30, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      You can if you want, but I didn't find it necessary. I am not a fan of eggplant skin, but it doesn't bother me here!

      Reply
  4. Gail Norwood

    September 08, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    Can't wait to try. My in laws would love this. would it be worth eating if you froze and thawed to eat?

    Reply
    • Coley

      September 09, 2019 at 9:53 am

      That's a great question. I've never tried freezing it, so I'm not sure how it would affect the texture. It does do well canned, though. If you're up for the process of sterilizing jars and all that, I say go for it!

      Reply
  5. Michele

    May 08, 2020 at 10:15 pm

    Delicious recipe -- even if I didn't have fresh basil. I just added a heaping tablespoon of dried basil when I cooked the onions and celery. I served this over sliced and pan seared polenta rounds and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Coley

      May 13, 2020 at 9:12 am

      Thanks Michele! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Kelsey

    July 23, 2020 at 9:07 am

    This was literally the best caponata recipe I’ve ever made!

    Reply
    • Coley

      July 26, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      So glad, Kelsey! Thank you for your comment! Would you mind also leaving a star rating? It's super helpful!

      Reply
  7. Liz Lieberman

    September 04, 2020 at 8:59 pm

    Going to make this for a ladies lunch! Love your recipes.

    Reply
    • Coley

      September 18, 2020 at 11:14 am

      Thanks Liz!

      Reply
  8. Sandra Hanes

    June 28, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    Have made this before and it is delicious. Our eggplant is just starting to produce, so I made a small batch and put it in heated Pita 🥙 bread. So delicious!

    Reply
  9. Sandra Hanes

    June 28, 2021 at 11:17 pm

    Forgot to rate!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Rosalba DeBenedictis

    August 28, 2022 at 8:49 am

    Going to make this dish to bring to my Sicilian friends pool party.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Coley

      September 12, 2022 at 3:00 pm

      Hope everyone loved it!

      Reply

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I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley. You should, too! I'm a chef and recipe developer specializing in coastal Italian cooking. Welcome to Coley Cooks! About Nicole Gaffney

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