Sicilian Eggplant Caponata 🇮🇹 Italian Cuisine 🤌 A Moment of Culinary Pride for You
Today, I'm sharing an Italian delight called Caponata, a traditional Sicilian eggplant stew with mixed vegetables.
👉🏻Ingredients list⚠️
1 long eggplant
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
10 cherry tomatoes
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup pitted green olives
1/3 cup pitted black olives
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons capers
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
Olive oil, as needed
2/3 cup pasta sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey/white sugar)
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Today, I'm sharing an Italian delight called Caponata, a traditional Sicilian eggplant stew with mixed vegetables. Olives and raisins lend a sweet-and-sour flavor, while the dish boasts a rich sauce and the fresh aroma of vegetables! Served with crusty slices of baguette, it's absolutely delightful!
👉🏻✨Step
Wash the eggplant, cut into 1cm cubes, sprinkle with a little salt, and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Let cool naturally, then squeeze out excess moisture by hand. (This ensures faster cooking and less oil absorption.) Transfer the eggplant cubes to an air fryer, drizzle with olive oil, and cook at 185°C for 15 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
Meanwhile, dice the red and yellow bell peppers and celery; halve the cherry tomatoes; finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley. Drain the green and black olives and capers from their cans.
Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the onion, bell peppers, celery, and cherry tomatoes, seasoning with salt and black pepper. Once the vegetables soften and the onion turns golden, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Stir in the pasta sauce, olives, capers, raisins, smoked paprika, bay leaf, white wine vinegar, agave nectar, and salt. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.
Finally, add the roasted eggplant cubes and chopped parsley. Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
Serve with toasted baguette slices 🥖 for a scrumptious meal!
