This classic roasted eggplant caponata recipe is a simple appetizer that's packed with flavor. It's made with roasted eggplant and simmered with salty green olives and capers, toasted pine nuts, and juicy golden raisins in a tangy tomato sauce. My recipe has a traditional sweet and sour flavor and loads of veggies.
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Caponata is a classic Sicilian dish made with eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and celery—plus bold mix-ins like olives, capers, and raisins. It’s tangy, savory, and full of flavor.
This recipe proves you don’t need fancy ingredients to make something unforgettable. Just a handful of veggies and pantry staples come together in one seriously delicious appetizer.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Traditonal recipe. No crazy ingredients or preparation is required. This recipe really is so simple.
- Bold flavors. We've got savory, salty, nutty, tangy, sour, sweet...I mean, this recipe really has everything packed into one perfectly balanced dish.
- Versatile. Serve it as bruschetta, in pasta, over meat, or just inhale it by the spoonful straight out of the pan. Yes, it's that good.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Eggplant - Use any variety you like but, of course, Italian eggplants are going to be the most traditional.
- Veggies - My recipe uses a blend of celery, red bell pepper, and yellow onion.
- Canned Tomatoes - I use canned, whole, peeled tomatoes in puree. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, you can, just add a little bit of tomato paste to add richness.
- Sugar - A touch of sugar helps to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. If you don't have granulated sugar, honey will work as well.
- Red Wine Vinegar - White wine or champagne vinegar would be the best substitute.
- Capers - Briny capers are a classic addition to authentic caponata.
- Green Olives - If preferred, you can sub the green olives for black olives. Green olives are the classic though, and they tend to have a saltier bite.
- Pine Nuts - Preferably toasted! To toast your pine nuts, simply heat them in a skillet on the stove. Be sure to watch them carefully so as not to burn them!
- Raisins - Be sure to soak your raisins in hot water before adding them to the pan. This hydrates them, so they become the perfect burst of sweetness in the caponata.
- Fresh Herbs - I like to use a combination of fresh parsley and lots of fresh basil on top of the caponata.
⏲️How to Make Eggplant Caponata
- Chop the eggplant into even, 1-inch cubes (or smaller) and place the cubes into a colander. Sprinle with salt and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Line the pan with parchment to prevent burning. Toss with oil and pepper but NOT salt.
- Roast in the oven until tender and golden brown.
- Once the veggies are soft, add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven and stir that into the tomato sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes to allow the eggplant to soak in some of the flavors of the sauce, then taste and season as needed.
The traditional way of serving this eggplant appetizer is with a side of crusty bread. You can dice the eggplant into smaller bites and pile it on crostini to serve it as a passed hor d'oeurve.
Serve it as a pasta sauce over homemade gluten-free pasta, polenta, or risotto. Or serve it just as a simple side dish.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Caponata is delicious when served warm, at room temperature, or cold! Enjoy it at whatever temperature works best for you!
- I prefer my eggplant chunkier but cutting it into smaller cubes is also very common.
- Salting and draining the eggplant is key to the perfect roasted texture.
- Do not rinse the eggplant after salting, but if it has a lot of water on the surface, use a paper towel to blot it dry.
More Italian Eggplant Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
Sicilian Roasted Eggplant Caponata
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes
- ⅓ cup olive oil divided
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons capers
- ½ cup green olives preferably Castlevetrano
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- ¼ cup golden raisins soaked in hot water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley and basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to it.
- Place the cubed eggplant in a colander and lightly sprinkle with salt. Allow to drain for 20 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.1 ½ pounds eggplant
- On a large baking sheet, toss the diced eggplant with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Do not salt. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until eggplant is tender and lightly browned.⅓ cup olive oil
- While the eggplant is roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and red pepper. Sauté until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes until thickened.1 celery stalk, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow onion, 1 can (14.5 oz) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
- Add the sugar, vinegar, pine nuts, olive, raisins, and capers to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens.1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar, ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup green olives, ¼ cup pine nuts, ¼ cup golden raisins, 3 tablespoons capers
- Stir in the roasted eggplant. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like.Salt and pepper
- Remove from heat and let it cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve warm or at room temperature with crostini.Fresh parsley and basil
Video
Notes
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Leftover caponata can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not freeze.Nutrition
Common Recipe Questions
Caponata originated in Italy and features peppers, onions, and celery as well as more briny ingredients such as capers and olives. Ratatouille, on the other hand, is a French dish often made using other veggies such as zucchini and carrot and usually features garlic cloves.
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