{"id":7538,"date":"2020-01-22T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T16:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=7538"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:58:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:58:38","slug":"caponata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/22\/caponata\/","title":{"rendered":"Caponata: A Taste of Sunny Sicily"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 22, 2020<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The origins of both caponata and its name are unknown but that doesn\u2019t keep some \u201cauthorities\u201d from making definitive statements about both its origins<\/a> and its name<\/a>.\u00a0 Other authors are more cautious about how they approach the topic<\/a>.\u00a0 There are many theories.\u00a0 There are perhaps more theories about the origins of the dish and its name than there are versions of caponata itself, and that\u2019s saying a lot.<\/p>\n

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Leaving the skin on the eggplant improves the texture of the caponata.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What we do know is that caponata, as we now know it, is Sicilian though there are traditional Neapolitan versions as well.<\/p>\n

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At its most basic caponata is a vegetable dish (though some versions include fish) with eggplant typically being the predominant ingredient (though there are other versions, such as one with artichokes) in a lightly sweet and sour sauce that usually contains some tomato product (fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce of some sort) and capers.<\/p>\n

Beyond the basics, caponata has numerous traditional regional variations from different areas of Sicily.\u00a0 There are also the endless variations introduced by individual cooks.<\/p>\n

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Onions are a common addition to caponata.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One could add or subtract celery, sweet peppers, zucchini, olives, pine nuts, almonds, and raisins (to name a few).<\/p>\n

The eggplant can be fried, saut\u00e9ed, or steamed (but almost always with the skin on).<\/p>\n

Caponata can be served on a slice of toasted bread (crostino), as (part of) an antipasto, as a side dish (contorno), or as a main dish (secondo).\u00a0 Though not traditional, I like tossing it with pasta.<\/p>\n

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Capers are in virtually every traditional version of caponata. Some authorities suggest the name “caponata” may be related to the word “caper.”<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I prefer caponata that is neither aggressively sweet nor sour and, while the vegetables should not be mushy, I don\u2019t want to hear a crunch when I bite down.<\/p>\n

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If I were drowning in home-grown tomatoes during harvest season, I\u2019d probably work on perfecting a version that uses fresh tomatoes.\u00a0 Since that\u2019s not the case, my version uses tomato sauce.\u00a0 The advantage is that I can make it year-round as the necessary vegetables are always available and of good quality.<\/p>\n

Though it should not be frozen, caponata can be canned.\u00a0 In fact, one of the demonstrations that I did for students at the Italian Culinary Institute<\/a> this past September was how to can caponata.<\/p>\n

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Sweet peppers are traditional in some versions of caponata.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unlike Italy, where the best eggplants and peppers are available only \u201cin season\u201d that\u2019s not true in the United States.\u00a0 Rather than canning a large batch of caponata, I just make it whenever I want some.<\/p>\n

I hope you enjoy this version of caponata.<\/p>\n

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Turbinado or Demerara sugars are good substitutes for Italian “cane sugar” (zucchero di canna).<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want to get more into the fray about the origins of caponata or its name, or the different versions, you can look here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, or here<\/a>.

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Caponata: A Taste of Sunny Sicily<\/h2>\n
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There is a link to the recipe for Basic Tomato Sauce in the Notes section below. Any simple tomato sauce, or even tomato puree, could be substituted. If vegetable broth is not available water can be used. To my American readers, I apologize for the metric measures. You can convert to American measures by using the dropdown menu below. Turbinado and Demerara sugars are most similar to the \u201ccane sugar\u201d used in Italy. American light brown sugar would work in this recipe since the quantity is small. You can use either vinegar-packed or salt-packed capers.<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>30 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>45 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hr<\/span> 15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>2<\/span> cups<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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