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Lightened-up Eggplant Caponata

Lightened-up Eggplant Caponata

Lightened-up Eggplant Caponata – a healthier and quicker version of a Sicilian summer classic. Perfect as an appetiser or side dish.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Caponata, Eggplant, Italian, Sicilian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author Manuela Zangara

Ingredients

  • 4 big eggplants
  • 15 green olives pitted and halved
  • 2 tbsp capers rinsed
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 140 gms – 5 oz. concentrated tomato paste
  • 2 big onions chopped
  • 3 celery stalks chopped
  • 150 ml – 5 oz. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut the aubergines in cubes (3×3 cm – 1.2×1.2 inches) and put them in a bowl with cold salty water for half an hour.
  2. Blanch the chopped celery in salty boiling water.
  3. Sauté the onion with the 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil for a minute or 2. Add the tomato concentrate, capers, olives, salt and blanched celery with a little of its reserved cooking water and cook the sauce for 5 minutes.
  4. Drain the the cubed eggplant and add it to the pot. Mix gently, cover, and cook until the eggplant is tender.
  5. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar and add it to the caponata. Cook it for a few minutes on a medium-high flame, then put the fire off and let it cool down.
  6. It is best eaten at room temperature or cold, and it tastes even better after a day or two. Enjoy with some warm cabbuci!