Sicilian Eggplant Caponatina (Caponata)

closeup view of bowl of eggplants with olives, basil

4.86 from 7 votes

Sicilian Eggplant Caponatina (Caponata)

Caponatina is a refreshing, sweet-and-sour eggplant salad that's better the next day. Let it chill overnight before serving.

Prep Time23

Cook Time27

Total Time50

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Mamma C

Ingredients

15 peeled plum tomatoes (From 1.5 28-oz cans or use fresh. See notes.)
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

Prepare the Tomatoes

If Using Canned, Peeled Tomatoes: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a small or medium mixing bowl. Squeeze each tomato over the strainer, so the juice goes into the bowl underneath. Pull out the hard stem and discard it. The tomato will break apart. Continue squeezing the sections to drain as much juice as possible. It is optional to scrape out the seeds. Place the squeezed tomato sections into a separate bowl. Pat them dry with a paper towel before adding to the caponata.
If Using Tresh Tomatoes: 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. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a small or medium mixing bowl. Squeeze the tomato quarters gently over the strainer to loosen the seeds and let the liquid drain out. It is optional, but you can scrape out the seeds with a knife. Place the squeezed tomato sections into a separate bowl. Pat them dry with a paper towel before adding to the caponata.

Prepare the Eggplants

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.)

Make the Caponata

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 of minutes, then add the garlic. Lower the heat if needed, so the garlic won't burn. Cook until the onions are soft.
Over medium-high heat, add the eggplant cubes to the pan and stir them in with the onions and garlic. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting all of the cubes touch the bottom of the pan. They will have the chance to cook more in the next step. Rinse the basil leaves and snip them into pieces. Add them to the pan and stir in black pepper and salt.
Add the tomatoes and vinegar to the pan and stir briefly, spreading out the eggplant cubes as evenly as you can. Put the heat on medium and cook for 15 minutes uncovered, stirring periodically to allow any cubes that look pale to get coated with oil.
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 and let it cool off. Then, 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 four days. I would not freeze it.

Notes

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 has.

If you discover yours have tons of seeds, you may want to remove some.

A note about the tomatoes: They need to be peeled and squeezed dry.

It's easier to use canned, peeled tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. You'll save about 30 minutes of prep time. Buy two (28-oz) cans of peeled tomatoes and use 1 ½ cans. You'll need 15 tomatoes without the juice.

If you use fresh tomatoes, try to recruit an extra pair of hands.

Why peeled? You'll be cooking the tomatoes. You don't want their skins to come off during cooking and end up in your caponata.

Why Squeezed Dry? You don't want a runny eggplant salad from the tomato juice.

Olive oil: We use regular olive oil, since it's more mild than extra virgin. If you use extra-virgin olive oil, you may need a little extra sugar.

Nutrition