• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Great Eight Friends
  • Gr8 Food ∞
    • Appetizers
      • Dips and Spreads
    • Beverages
      • Adult Beverages
      • Non-Alcoholic Drinks
    • Bread
      • Quick Bread
      • Yeast Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Egg Dishes
    • Desserts and Snacks
      • Cakes and Cupcakes
      • Candy and Confections
      • Cookies
      • Fruit
      • Pies and Tarts
      • Snacks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • 130+ Main Courses
      • Beef
      • Fish
      • Lamb
      • Meatless
      • Pork
      • Poultry
    • Salads and Dressings
    • Sauces Salsas Marinades
    • Side Dishes
      • Pasta
      • Potatoes
      • Rice and Grains
      • Vegetables
    • Soup
  • Gr8 Friends ∞
    • Gr8 Dinners
    • Gr8 Holiday Ideas
    • Other Occasion Parties
  • Gr8 Fun ∞
    • Debbie's Craft Corner
    • Gr8 Trips
      • Field Trips
      • Vacations
    • Other Gr8 Stuff
      • Our Favorite Kitchen Tools
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Who We Are
    • GR8 Party Outlines
    • Become a Gr8 Friend!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Become a Gr8 Friend!
  • Main Courses
  • Appetizers
  • Beverages
  • Bread
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Desserts and Snacks
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Salads and Dressings
  • Sauces Salsas Marinades
  • Side Dishes
  • Soup
  • Gr8 Friends
  • Gr8 Dinners
  • Gr8 Fun
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Italian Eggplant Caponata Recipe

    September 29, 2017 by Debbie 2 Comments

    Italian Eggplant Caponata is a delicious make-ahead appetizer or side dish. Serve it warm, cold or at room temperature!

    Debbie cutting peppers for eggplant caponata.

    Oh boy! I could not wait to make this Eggplant Caponata during our Cooking with Nonna Anna day! Anything with an eggplant, I can't turn down.

    As an appetizer, or even a side dish, count me in...please! But first....what do you always want to create the best version of a recipe? The freshest ingredients you can find, right?!

    Overhead shot of eggplant caponata.

    Lucky for us here in Orange County, California, we've got an actual farm that sells the best of everything grown right there! Manassero Farms has been our "go to" for years.

    If you're in the area, make it yours! Everything is picked to perfection!

    Eggplant Caponata is a Sicilian dish that is a delicious medley of vegetables. Simple ingredients, all easy to come by; spiked with the tartness of capers and olives.

    Eggplant Caponata on bruschetta.

    This would also be amazing at a brunch buffet! Or toast some baguette slices and use it for bruschetta.

    Make it the day of or the night before, because when sealed up in a container, and placed in the refrigerator, the caponata only gets better.

    This might just be one of your next go to recipes...easy, healthy and delicious!

    Close Up of Eggplant Caponata.
    This Caponata is a delicious make-ahead Italian eggplant dish and perfect on a fresh baguette as a tasty appetizer before any meal.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save this RecipeSaved!

    Please leave a rating!

    No ratings yet

    Eggplant Caponata

    This is a Gr8 side dish to any meal...and the leftovers are even better! If you have any! See our Gr8 Serving Tips to make it an appetizer.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Total Time1 hr 5 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Eggplant Caponata
    Servings: 8
    Author: Debbie

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound eggplant, peeled
    • olive oil
    • 2 red bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and cut in ⅔-inch pieces
    • 1 medium onion, divided-¼ finely chopped, ¾ cut into ⅔-inch pieces
    • 2 tender celery stalks, leaves included, finely chopped
    • 1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed well and drained
    • 6 pitted green olives, cut into a few pieces
    • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • ¾ teaspoon sugar
    • 6 medium canned peeled tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 Tablespoons pignolis (pine nuts), lightly toasted
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cut eggplant into ¾-inch cubes.
    • Deep fry the eggplant in ⅔-inch layer of oil, over high heat, until dark gold. With a slotted spoon, remove eggplant cubes from pan, drain on paper towels and set aside.
    • Transfer 3 Tablespoons of the frying oil to a large skillet. Set aside the remaining oil.
    • Heat the oil then add peppers, large pieces of onion and celery.
    • Cook over moderate heat, stirring, for a couple of minutes.
    • Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
    • Uncover, increase heat to high and cook, stirring, until vegetables start browning.
    • Add capers, olives, vinegar and sugar; then turn off heat.
    • Add eggplant and mix very gently.
    • Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil used to cook the eggplant in a small pan and sauté the finely chopped onion. Add the tomatoes.
    • Cook over high heat until they sizzle.
    • Stir in salt and add to the vegetable mixture.
    • Add pine nuts to the mixture.
    • Stir gently until all the pieces are evenly distributed.
    • Put into your favorite serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley. 
    • Serve at room temperature.

    Notes

    Gr8 Serving Ideas:
    • Serve on sliced baguette that has been brushed with extra-virgin olive oil and lightly toasted in the oven.
    • Or serve with crackers or fresh celery for dipping.
    Gr8 Do-Ahead Appetizer:
    Make this dish in the morning and refrigerate. Be sure to remove from the refrigerator at least 1 ½ hours before serving so it can come to room temperature.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!

    Last published on April 24, 2016.

    « Celebrating Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa
    DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kyle

      April 27, 2016 at 6:20 am

      Hi Lon, This is a wonderful side dish or appetizer on toasted crostini and would be a gr8 appetizer for a party. Enjoy your Italian celebration and let us know if you make the Eggplant Caponata. Enjoy!

    2. Claudia Kerns

      April 26, 2016 at 1:01 pm

      This will be perfect for the big Italian celebration that we are planning for an 85th birthday. Thank you!!

    Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think! Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Be a Gr8 Friend!

    Talk With Us!

    • Debbie on Layered Vegetable Pâté Recipe
    • Charles Ayash on Layered Vegetable Pâté Recipe
    • Kyle on Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
    • Kyle on Warm Spinach Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
    • wonderfulcook.com on Warm Spinach Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
    my foodgawker gallery

    Need More Servings?

    Our recipes will do the calculation for you. Just hover over the number of servings then move the slider to the number desired. (Please be aware: this will not change pan or bowl sizes, so you may have to adjust for that.)

    It's Grilling Season!

    ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Our Party Outline

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ©2022 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme