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December 23, 2024

Caponata:The Italian Ratatouille

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Caponata: The Italian Ratatouille

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A Rich and Savory Blend of Fresh Vegetables

Caponata is Italy’s answer to the French ratatouille. It features many of the same ingredients — onions, eggplant, and bell peppers — yet it stands apart with the addition of capers, vinegar, and olives, giving it a tangy twist. Invest a little time chopping and it's easy to create this versatile dish you can enjoy all week. Serve it on its own, toss it with pasta, or pair it with Italian sausage.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 eggplant (about 1 pound)
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 6-8 stalks of celery with leaves
  • 3/4 cup homemade tomato sauce or 2/3 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 - 1 tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • Green olives
  • Fresh parsley
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Wash and prepare the vegetables.
    • Slice the onion into thin strips.
    • Dice the eggplant into 1-inch cubes.
    • Chop the celery into ¼-inch slices.
    • Slice the red peppers into thin strips.
  • Warm olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
    • Add the onions, celery, and red peppers, sautéing until they soften, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just to open its flavor without browning it.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, followed by the tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes, and let it simmer on low heat.
  • Add 4 tbsp of olive oil in a separate pan, and sauté the eggplant over medium heat until it softens. Add more olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
  • Add the eggplant to the vegetable mixture.
  • Add in the olives, capers, and parsley.
  • Sprinkle the vinegar and sugar evenly over the caponata, mixing well. Simmer for a few more minutes. 
  • Serve or save for later. This dish always tastes better the next day — and even better the day after that.

Notes

  • Serve leftovers with pasta, offering a fresh twist on the same dish.
  • You can use any tomatoes you prefer, but cherry or grape tomatoes save time since they don’t require chopping. They’ll soften and can be mashed with a spoon or fork as they cook.
  • If you struggle to find time to make a dish from start to finish, try cooking in stages. Sauté the onion and peppers the night before, or prep the eggplant in advance. Then you can easily finish the recipe the next day, with less effort.
  • Add more or less of the ingredients you like.

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It's always a little different each time I make it, depending on the ingredients I have — which makes it new and exciting every time! 

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Caponata

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Caponata with pasta

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I often cook "au pif," as we say in France, which means cooking without an exact recipe and by "feel" using your intuition.  You’ll find guidelines in many recipes versus exact quantities.  Write to me here if you have any questions about the recipes.

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