This Caponata recipe is calling for you! You may say Caponata is Sicilian by definition. Whatever.
Let's just make this International so everyone can be happy. You don't even have to figure out whether an eggplant is a fruit, a vegetable or an egg of a plant. Let's just make some delicious eggplant dish here!
This variation of caponata recipe calls for a pre-baked eggplant rather than fried. It really doesn't matter. You can even use fresh or canned tomatoes here. I prefer fresh though. Fresh ingredients is always better.
Other variations calls for chopped fried eggplant but I'd rather have mine air-fried using an air-fryer. You can always bake it too. We don't need all that greasy oil in this recipe. Cooking eggplant in oil absorb a whole lot of fat. Try air-frying or baking it.
How to cook eggplants for Caponata:
Slice the eggplant cross-wise. Spray with a little bit of oil and bake them in a cookie sheet until they're soft. I used an air-fryer here. Frying eggplants absorbs a lot of the oil. You don't need all that greasy stuff.
When the eggplants are cooked through (it only takes 15 minutes or so) tear them up in small pieces and set aside.
In a pan, saute the garlic and onion in a little bit of oil until they're wilted. Add in the celery and stirfry until tender. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir in a small can of organic tomato paste and keep stirring while the whole sauce is boiling. The sauce will thicken. Add the air-fried pieces of eggplant. Keep stirring.
At this point, you can simmer it and add the fresh oregano and parsley last. Turn off the heat when the celery is soft and let it cool. This caponata can be your pasta sauce as well so you can enjoy it either hot over your pasta or cold as a dip or topping for your toasts.
Enjoy.
I ate mine with steamed rice. My significant other ate his with pasta.
Left-overs were reserved for toasted bread topping. Yum!
I hope you try it.
We'd love to hear other variations of eggplant recipes. Please drop us a recipe or two here.
New! Comments
Express yourself. Please leave a constructive comment in the box below.