Sicilian Eggplant Caponatina (Caponata) is a marinated salad with olives, tomatoes, onions and a sweet-and-sour vibe! Make this refreshing vegan appetizer or side dish the day before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
Mom's Sicilian Eggplant Caponatina is one of the reasons I started this blog back in 2014.
It's one of those dishes I loved for years but never attempted myself. Because, Mom makes the caponata.
But, with Mom in her 70s, I realized I needed to learn how to make this and many other family recipes. So, I did my best in the early days of this website to replicate her version of this Sicilian eggplant appetizer. (Keep in mind, she doesn't measure anything!)
Now, years later, I've improved the recipe so it better matches Mom's. You're going to love it!
It's stand-at-the-counter-and-eat-it-right-out-of-the-bowl delicious. Like this Pan-Fried Eggplant with Tomato Sauce, you eat caponatina at room temperature or chilled.
What is caponatina?
People use the terms "caponatina" and "caponata" interchangeably. But technically, caponatina includes tinier chunks of eggplant, so the relish can be spread on crostini for an appetizer.
"Melanzane" is the Italian word for eggplants, so this dish is called "caponata di melanzane" in Italian. It's a sweet-and-sour salad of cooked eggplant cubes, onions, crushed fresh tomatoes and garlic, tossed with black and green olives and some basil. Some recipes call for celery, peppers and capers, but we're not using them here.
This vegan and gluten-free dish is best eaten the day after it's assembled. My family is addicted to it and will graze on it all day long!
Recipe ingredients
It's important to use nice eggplants for this recipe. No mushy ones allowed!
If you don't see good ones at the market, ask a produce worker to bring out more eggplants from the back. You can then go through the box yourself to pick the best ones. #italiancookingsecrets
Choose eggplants that are:
- Glossy and firm, not bruised.
- With green tops, not brown.
- Small and skinny, if possible, because they are younger and usually have less seeds, which are bitter.
There are myths about the existence of male and female eggplants and how looking at the shape of the dimple on the bottom can identify which ones have more seeds. Just remember, the heavier the eggplant, the more seeds it probably contains.
If you discover yours have tons of seeds, you may want to remove some. I chose well this time, and didn't need to take any out.
A note about the tomatoes:
You will need to peel and seed all the tomatoes, then squeeze them dry so they don't make the salad runny. Prepping the tomatoes takes 30 minutes if you're doing this alone, so try to recruit an extra pair of hands, if you can.
Some recipes call for tomato sauce instead, but we love fresh tomatoes here. We haven't tried using canned, peeled, tomatoes in the caponata, but that might be worth experimenting with, if you get rid of the seeds and juice.
And speaking of tomatoes, you have to try this Italian Tomato Salad!
How to make Sicilian eggplant caponatina
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
1. Cook the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.
2. Stir in cubed eggplants and cook for six minutes. Add basil and seasonings.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and vinegar.
4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring periodically.
5. Add the olives and sugar. Stir to combine and place in a serving bowl (affiliate link) to chill overnight.
How to serve it
Caponata is perfect for the buffet table, because it's dairy free. We love this at parties and family gatherings as an Italian side dish.
You also could serve it on crostini as an appetizer, similar to tomato bruschetta. And I bet it would be excellent stirred into rotini as a pasta salad.
But, honestly? If this is in the fridge at my house, we grab forks and nosh on it all day long, right out of the bowl.
You'll see what I mean after you try it.
More recipes like this
- Eggplant Parmigiana
- Roasted Eggplant Dip
- Baked Breaded Eggplant Slices
- Marinated Zucchini with Mint
- 63 Italian Appetizer Recipes
Enjoy!
Sicilian Eggplant Caponatina (Caponata)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds fresh tomatoes (about 10 Roma tomatoes)
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion (from about half of a large onion)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup olive oil (we use regular, not extra virgin; see notes)
- 2 pounds eggplants (see notes)
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 12 ounces black olives (sliced & drained; buy them sliced to save time)
- 7 ounces pimiento-stuffed green olives (Manzanilla, drained)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Use a peeler to remove the skin from the tomatoes. For each tomato, cut a circle around the core to remove it, then cut the tomato in half. Cut each half in half again. Squeeze the tomato quarters gently to loosen the seeds and scrape them out with a knife.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the tomato pieces and set them in a drainer. Pat them dry with a paper towel before adding to the caponata.
- Rinse the eggplants. Cut off the root and stem ends. Peel the skin. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, then in half again lengthwise. If they're still very thick, you can cut them in half again. Cut the eggplant horizontally into cubes about 1.5 inches thick. (Or make them smaller for a spreadable relish.)
- Chop the onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the onions to the pan and cook for a couple minutes, then add the garlic. Cook until the onions are soft. Don't let the garlic burn.
- Add the eggplant cubes to the pan and stir them in with the onions and garlic. Cook for about 6 minutes. Snip the basil into pieces and add them to the pan. Stir in black pepper and salt.
- Add the tomatoes and vinegar to the pan and stir briefly. Put the heat on medium and cook for 15 minutes uncovered, stirring periodically as needed to prevent sticking.
- While the caponata is cooking, drain the olives and dry them on paper towels. When the caponatina is finished cooking, remove the pan from the heat. Add the olives and sugar to the eggplants. Stir to combine.
- Place the caponata in a serving bowl, cover it and refrigerate it, ideally overnight. Before serving, stir the caponatina and taste to see if it needs any salt. Be sure to try it with the olives, which will add a salty flavor. Serve cold or at room temperature as a side dish or on crostini for an appetizer. Use a slotted spoon to scoop it out of the bowl.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to five days. I would not freeze it.
Notes
- Glossy and firm, not bruised.
- With green tops, not brown.
- Small and skinny, if possible, because they are younger and usually have less seeds, which are bitter.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from Mom, who doesn't measure anything. Originally published on June 21, 2014 and updated now with an improved recipe, new photos and text.)
PeterG
My family from Sicily uses Cerignola or Castelvetrano olives, capers, celery and tomato paste. Any Caponatina is good and families have their own recipes. Using the ingredients I mentioned is my preference. Glad you shared as so many aren’t familiar with Caponatina, I even use it on breakfast sandwiches, it’s so good.
Mamma C
Hi Peter - Did you try our recipe?
Helen
Cannot wait to serve this tomorrow. It smells absolutely delicious. Will let
you know about the raves after dinner. Hugs
Mamma C
Hi Helen - I hope you all enjoy this! xo
AMB
From your pictures it appears you also peeled the eggplant? Just want to be sure, thank you.
Mamma C
Hi AMB - Yes, peel the eggplants. It's in the instructions.
Laura
My grandma was from Ventotene/Naples, she added capers and celery. It you are right to write down and save these wonderful recipes. There were many dessert recipes’ I never wrote down. Little balls covered in honey then sprinkled with powered sugar, was one and another was a sweet bread like cake that looked like a mushroom my Grandma also made that we never wrote the recipe. Two generations are gone now so unless others from that region of Italy still make I will just have great memories!
Mamma C
Hi Laura - I hope the recipes I've shared are helpful! Those little honey balls are called struffoli in Naples. My mother-in-law makes them, but I don't have the recipe on my blog.
Ana
I just made this and it turned out kind of liquidy. Hoping that letting it sit overnight will absorb the liquid.
Mamma C
Ana, do you think your tomatoes were overripe or maybe not drained well before you started? It's important that the tomatoes and olives be drained well and blotted. In any case, let the caponata sit overnight so that it can marinate and take on the flavors. Then, in the morning, you can use a slotted spoon to transfer the caponata to a different bowl without the excess liquid. Then, taste the caponata to see if it needs any more olive oil or seasonings.
Tash
Oh my! I have never heard of Caponata before..but this looks incredible! So simple...yet exotic. This is exactly my thing - and the pictures couldn't have been any more mouth watering, they drew me right in! I love these Mediterranean/southern style twists that totally exploit sturdy veggies and legumes. Combined with anything peppery and summery, they make the most hearty, filling and satiating spice suppers 🙂
I can't wait to try this out!! Pinned!
Tash x
Mamma C
Tash, thanks so much. I hope you enjoy this!