Credit for this tasty vegetarian dish goes to May I Have That RECIPE?
One of our favorite eggplant recipes is Caponata, a Sicilian
dish that’s created with a base of roasted eggplant and peppers. Serve it on
crusty toasted bread or as a topping for your favorite protein!
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- 1 large Italian eggplant -cubed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic - minced
- 2-3 tbsp pine nuts
- ~4 jarred roasted peppers - chopped
- 12 green olives - pitted and sliced in thirds
- 12 black cured olives - pitted and cut in half
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley - chopped
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/8 tsp pepper (or to taste)
- 1/8 tsp Aleppo pepper or hot red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Preparation:
To roast the eggplant:
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with
parchment paper
Place the diced eggplant in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons
of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing the eggplant after each
addition
Arrange the eggplant on the baking sheet. Bake for 30
minutes or until tender
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and very carefully
fold the parchment paper around the eggplant, so it wraps around all the
pieces, to form a sealed package (be careful, it will be hot)
Let the eggplant sit for 20 minutes. This will allow the eggplant to soften further without drying it out
To make the caponata:
While the eggplant is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of the
olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic stir and cook over
medium heat for about 6-7 minutes or until the onions are cooked and start to
turn a golden color. Remove the cooked onions and garlic mixture and set them
aside in a large bowl
To the same skillet add the pine nuts and cook over medium
heat for 2-3 minutes or until they start to turn a golden color (don't leave
the pine nuts unattended, they can burn easily)
Place the roasted eggplant in the bowl with the cooked
onions and garlic. Add the roasted red peppers, green and black olives, capers,
and parsley and mix well
At this point taste the caponata and decide how much of the vinegar, salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper you want to add to make it to your taste. It's up to you how salty, tangy or spicy you want it to be. Top it with the toasted pine nuts before serving.
Blessed be… and happy cooking!