Eggplant Caponata
This recipe was handed down from my grandmother. Whenever she prepares it, she says ‘This is your grandfather’s recipe…’ Eggplant caponata is traditionally (in my family, anyway) served cool with crusty Italian bread as an appetizer.
I happen to love it (as do family/friends) served hot over pasta. Pictured above (in the background) with linguine, it is also well suited for mezze penne – or any pasta for that matter. It also makes a great filling for a ciabatta sandwich. Truly delightful served as you fancy.
I paired it with Quick Pesto with Broiled Tomatoes (in the foreground), and some Bon Terra for an amazing meal that got rave reviews!
Ingredients
- 1/3 c olive oil
- 1 medium vidalia onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tender stalks celery
- 2 small eggplants
- 2 large bell peppers*
- 1 c sliced mushrooms
- 1-2 c small pitted black olives
- 1 small can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- splash lemon juice
- salt/pepper to taste
- red crushed hot pepper (optional)
Directions
I really don’t care for involved directions…so: Chop everything up. Put the olive oil in a big iron skillet and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the other ingredients one at a time in the order listed. Serve hot or cold. Like most things, it tastes better after sitting in the fridge a day or two.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute/omit certain ingredients at will and it still tastes amazing. I’ve never made it the same way twice – and enjoy getting adventurous with the spices depending on who I’m making it for.
* I use yellow/orange/red for added color.
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