This incredible Sicilian-style Eggplant Caponata is a sweet and salty appetizer that combines eggplant, peppers, onions, olives, capers, pignoli and raisins and is perfect by itself, slathered on crusty bread, or as a topping for sandwiches.
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Editor’s Note: Originally published on June 18, 2019. Updated with improved recipe, expanded information, and new photos on July 23, 2024.
I’ve sampled many different types of eggplant caponata from storebought to homemade, and this is the recipe I come back to again and again.
It’s easy to make and so much better (and less expensive) than jarred caponata; once you make it yourself you’ll never buy storebought again!
The sweet raisins, peppers, and onions perfectly complement the salty capers and olives, and the sour vinegar and they all combine beautifully with the delicious roasted eggplant!
I love to include eggplant caponata on an antipasto platter, and it’s also great alongside other appetizers such as zucchini bruschetta and cannellini dip.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Eggplant. I’m using American eggplants and when selecting them I look for medium-sized eggplants that are dark, shiny, and firm to the touch.
- Olives and capers. Green Castelvetrano olives are my go-to for eggplant caponata. Look for ones that are already pitted or, you can remove the pits yourself. Be sure to rinse the capers to remove additional salt.
- Raisins. Raisins or currants are added to many Sicilian dishes. They add sweetness and texture to the caponata. If you don’t want to use them, you can omit but you may need to replace with a touch more sugar.
- Herbs. Fresh herbs like parsley, mint, and basil all work well with caponata.
- Pignoli. Also called pine nuts, these tend to be on the pricier side but you can find better prices at Costco or Trader Joe’s. You can also omit them but the do add great texture and flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level. Cut 2 pounds of eggplant into 1 1/2 inch cubes and toss them with 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, then spread the cubes onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets taking care to not overcrowd the pieces. If the eggplant looks at all dry, add a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant is fully cooked through and soft in the middle.
- While the eggplant is roasting, chop 3 celery ribs and 1 large red bell pepper. Slice 1 medium red onion, chop 1 cup of pitted green olives, and mince 1/4 cup of flat-leaf Italian parsley and set aside. In a dry pan over medium heat toast 1/3 cup of pignoli nuts for about 5 minutes taking care to not burn them. As they toast they’ll become fragrant and turn a light golden color. Once toasted, set them aside.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, then add the celery, red onion, and bell pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened.
- Add 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste and continue to cook for another 5 minutes stirring frequently. If the paste starts to burn at all, add a few ounces of water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar along with the chopped olives, 2 tablespoons of rinsed capers, 1/4 cup of raisins, and 2 tablespoons of sugar and cook for 5 minutes to allow the vinegar and sugar to cook through and incorporate into the sauce.
- By now the eggplant should be done and you can remove from the oven and test for doneness with a fork.
- Add the roasted eggplant to the pan and gently mix it all together taking care to not mash the eggplant. Taste test the caponata – if you’d like more acidity, add a touch more vinegar, and if you’d like it sweeter add more sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from the heat and add the pine nuts and parsley (or other fresh herbs).
- You can serve the caponata immediately, but it will taste better if it sits in the fridge overnight. Eggplant caponata can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Roasting vs. frying. Traditionally caponata is made by frying the eggplant in olive oil. Frying will take less time (about 7-10 minutes in the oil per batch), but you may need to fry in multiple batches and your attention needs to stay on the eggplant. I prefer to roast because it’s more hands-off which means I can start cooking the other ingredients while the eggplant roasts.
- Don’t over-salt! Olives and capers are salty ingredients which is why salt was kept to a minimum in this recipe. Aside from salting the eggplant prior to roasting, salt is to taste only, so be sure to taste-test before adding additional salt.
- Additions. My recipe for caponata can easily be added to; some great additions would be zucchini, anchovies, and as mentioned before, other herbs such as mint and basil. For a full meal, check out my recipe for chicken agrodolce which is basically chicken with eggplant caponata plus/minus a few ingredients.
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More Italian appetizers
Here are a few more of my favorite Italian appetizer recipes. I hope you love them!
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Eggplant Caponata
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (908g) eggplant cut into 1 1/2" cubes
- 1/2 cup (120g) olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup (45g) pignoli nuts
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup (140g) chopped pitted green olives
- 2 tablespoons (18g) capers rinsed
- 1/4 packed cup (42g) raisins optional
- 2 tablespoons (26g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup mince flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoons mint and/or basil for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
For the eggplant
- Preheat oven to 425f and set the rack to middle level. Toss the cubed eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the eggplant out onto parchment paper lined baking sheet(s), making sure to not overcrowd the pieces. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked through and soft in the middle.
Meanwhile
- Toast the pignoli nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes being careful not to burn. Once toasted, set aside.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with extra virgin olive oil. Add the celery, red onion, and bell pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened.
- Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If the paste starts to burn, add a few ounces of water to the pan. Next, add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the green olives, capers, raisins, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes allowing the vinegar and sugar to cook through and incorporate.
- Add the roasted eggplant to the pan and gently mix it all together being careful to not crush the eggplant. Taste test the acidity and add more sugar or vinegar if required. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- When satisfied with the taste, turn off the heat and add the parsley and pignoli nuts. Mix well. Caponata can be eaten right away but it's better to refrigerate overnight so that the flavors meld together. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 6 large or 8 moderate servings.
- Caponata tastes much better the next day. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Salt was kept to a minimum. The inherent saltiness of the olives and capers should be kept in mind. Season to taste after adding all of the salty ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on June 18, 2019. It was completely updated on July 23, 2024.
I was looking for something to add to pasta other than a tomato sauce and after watching the how-to video of your caponata, I decided that adding it to penne would be perfect. It really was! Made exactly as directed and had enough left over to serve as an app when some friends dropped over last night. Very well balanced flavors and simply delicious! 🙂
Too good
This recipe is perfect and nicely balanced. Thank you.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Sara!
We did this recipe with acorn squash instead of eggplant and added a little minced garlic. Wow! It was amazing with small pork chops and focaccia bread. Very comforting and flavorful recipe for a cold, rainy day.
So happy you enjoyed, Bryan! Thanks for sharing your substitutions!
I made as described with a few changes. I added a small chopped zucchini for additional texture. I chopped in three dried apricots for tangy sweetness (didn’t have any raisins which I don’t much like anyway). Also added a grated carrot for additional texture. Didn’t add any additional sugar. It was perfect. I will let rest overnight as suggested and can’t wait to bring it to a party tomorrow.
So happy you enjoyed, Diane!