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Eggplant caponata is a delicious appetizer with a mouth-puckering blend of fresh flavors. Serve cold on crunchy crostini topped with fresh basil for a refreshing starter or a light lunch!
I first tried caponata at a local wine bar about 8 years ago and have been in love ever since. Caponata is a traditional Sicilian vegetable dish made with Italian eggplant, capers, olives, golden raisins, and vegetables. It’s just the right blend of sweet and savory, and makes a great party appetizer!
It’s my go-to appetizer for an apéro paired with a cheese board, marinated white beans, and crusty bread. Add a glass of champagne or a spritz, and you have a perfect summertime happy hour.
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Ingredients + Variations
Caponta has a lot of ingredients, but it comes together quickly and is well worth it! Roasted eggplant combines with acidic tomato, briny olives, and capers. Golden raisins and sugar balance everything out. Served on good-quality crusty bread, this is a go-to summer appetizer or snack!
- Eggplant: Choose an Italian eggplant with shiny, deep purple skin. The interior should be firm and white or ivory in color. Some recipes fry the eggplant, but roasting it is easier and results in a richer flavor.
- Olive oil: Good quality olive oil is essential.
- Vegetables: Yellow onion, bell pepper and celery add more texture and vegetables to the dish.
- Tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes are easy and add acidity.
- Capers and green olives: These add a briny touch. If you don’t like olives, skip them and add a bit more capers.
- Golden raisins and sugar: Add sweetness to balance out the bitter and other ingredients. If you don’t like raisins, skip them.
- Red pepper flakes: Add more or less to desired spiciness.
- Red wine vinegar: For more acidity.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley and basil brighten the dish.
- Bread: Sliced, toasted bread act as the perfect vessel for caponata.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
There are many different variations of caponata out there, and you can easily adapt this recipe to make it your own.
- Mellow out the olives – If briny olives aren’t your thing, skip them and add more capers.
- Ditch the raisins – Golden raisins have a mild sweetness that balances out the other ingredients, but they’re totally optional.
- Use honey – Not into sugar? Use honey instead for just a touch of sweetness.
- Adjust the heat – Feel free to increase (or decrease) the red pepper flakes to get the right heat level.
- Try different vinegars – Red wine vinegar is classic in caponata, but you can also use balsamic vinegar or even sherry vinegar. Keep in mind that balsamic will give the caponata a brownish tint.
- Make your own crostini – Slice a fresh baguette into thin slices. Drizzle baguette slices with olive oil, then broil quickly until crispy and golden brown. Flip once then remove from the oven and serve.
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Dutch oven or large pan
- Cutting board
- Knife
Storage
Eggplant caponata tastes even better after it’s rested in the fridge overnight. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
See food storage guidelines at USDA.gov.
Top Tip
Some caponata recipes fry the eggplant, but roasting it is easier and results in a richer flavor. It’s tidier, too, and you don’t have to get splattered with little pops of hot oil flying out of the frying pan.
FAQs about Eggplant Caponata Crostini
Caponata is a traditional Sicilian relish made with eggplant, vegetables, olives, and fresh herbs, usually served as an appetizer. For this caponata recipe, the eggplants and vegetables are cooked until tender, then mixed with a sweet, tangy, and briny combination of golden raisins, capers, olives, fresh parsley and basil, and more. Although the combination sounds a little unusual, I promise it’s love at first bite!
Since the vegetables in this caponata are all cooked you can freeze caponata. Let it cool completely, transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months max. Thaw it out in the fridge overnight, then serve chilled from the fridge with crostini or toasted bread and your favorite apps.
Choose a large Italian eggplant with shiny, deep purple skin. The interior should be firm and white or ivory in color. Technically, you can use thinner Japanese eggplants, but they are slightly sweeter and less bitter, which changes the flavor of the caponata.
Eggplant Caponata
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, about 1lb, cut into 1-inch cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 red bell pepper cored and chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoon capers
¼ cup pitted green olives roughly chopped
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1 teaspoon cane sugar
¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Basil leaves
Kosher salt, black pepper
Crusty bread, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Season the eggplant cubes with salt. Place the seasoned eggplant cubes on a sheet pan, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) and toss to coat. Roast the eggplant in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.
- In a small bowl, combine the raisins, vinegar, and capers. Set aside for the raisins to soften.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium dutch oven or pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 8 minutes stirring often, or until the vegetables have softened. Add the red pepper and salt. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, tomatoes, and sugar, and cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes, or until the tomatoes have cooked down and become saucy.
- Add the roasted eggplant, raisins, vinegar, capers, and several grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring, for 5 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and season to taste.
- Allow the caponata to cool to room temperature. (can be stored in fridge for 3-4 days)
- When ready to serve, garnish the caponata with fresh basil. Serve with crostini.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Italian
This was great for our church picnic! God bless yall!