ItalyCaponata
Caponata is a traditional Sicilian vegetable stew of eggplant, tomatoes, celery and olives.
Key Ingredients
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 1 largeSee recipes with eggplant
eggplant (about 600 g), cut into 2.5 cm cubes
i - to tasteSee recipes with extra virgin olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
i - 1See recipes with yellow onion
yellow onion, chopped
i - 1See recipes with red bell pepper
red bell pepper, peeled and sliced
i - 2 small stalksSee recipes with celery
celery, thinly sliced
i - 1 cupSee recipes with chopped tomatoes
chopped tomatoes
i - 2 tbspSee recipes with capers
capers
i - 1/4 cupSee recipes with seedless green olives
seedless green olives, roughly chopped
i - 1/4 cupSee recipes with raisins
raisins
i - 2 tsp
- 1See recipes with bay leaf
bay leaf
i - 1/4-1/2 tspSee recipes with red pepper flakes
red pepper flakes
i - 1/4 cupSee recipes with red wine vinegar
red wine vinegar
i - 1/4 cupSee recipes with dry white wine
dry white wine
i - 2 tbspSee recipes with fresh parsley
fresh parsley, chopped
i - 2 tbspSee recipes with fresh mint
fresh mint, chopped
i - to tasteSee recipes with salt and black pepper
salt and black pepper
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Salt the eggplant cubes and leave them in a colander for 20-30 minutes to drain and remove bitterness. Blot with a paper towel.
- 2
Place the eggplant cubes on a baking tray, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
- 3
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- 4
Add the tomatoes, capers, olives, raisins, honey, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Pour in the vinegar and white wine. Stir and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- 5
Add the roasted eggplant to the skillet and cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow the eggplant to soak up the sauce. Remove from heat and add the fresh parsley and mint.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between caponata and ratatouille?
Both are vegetable stews, but caponata is distinctly Sicilian with a sweet-and-sour flavour (agrodolce) from vinegar and sugar or honey, plus olives, capers and raisins. Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish with a clean herbal taste — no vinegar, no sweet notes. Caponata is almost always served cold as an antipasto; ratatouille is served hot as a side dish.
Why does caponata taste better the next day?
Because the sweet-and-sour sauce fully penetrates the eggplant and vegetables during resting — the flavours meld and the vinegar mellows. This is why caponata is always made a day ahead. Serve it at room temperature, not cold from the fridge — that dulls the aroma.
Can you make caponata without capers — what can you substitute?
Capers are one of the key flavour components of caponata, but they can be replaced. Green olives (chopped finely) give a similar salty-briny note. Gherkins or cornichons add sourness. If you skip capers entirely, add a little more vinegar and a pinch of salt to compensate for the lost complexity.
How do you stop eggplant from absorbing too much oil when frying for caponata?
Salt the eggplant cubes, leave 20–30 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly — this collapses the cell structure and reduces oil absorption by half. Fry in hot oil (180°C) in small batches so the temperature doesn't drop. An alternative: roast the eggplant in the oven at 200°C with just a drizzle of oil instead of frying.
Can caponata be made without frying — is there a lighter version?
Yes. Roast all the vegetables (eggplant, celery, peppers) separately in the oven at 200°C until golden, then combine with the tomato-vinegar-honey sauce on the hob. The result is less rich but equally flavourful, with significantly less oil. This is the preferred method if you want a lighter dish.
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