Caponata
Make homemade caponata! This delicious recipe uses roasted (not fried) eggplant. Serve this classic Sicilian dish as an appetizer or side.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Let’s make homemade caponata! This classic Sicilian appetizer or side dish is perfect for late summer meals. This recipe combines roasted (not fried) eggplant with sautéed bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, olives and capers. Red wine vinegar and honey make it irresistibly tangy and sweet. If you generally enjoy these bold flavors, you’re going to love caponata.
Since international travel is largely off the table, I’ve been traveling vicariously through my food. This caponata is the perfect example. I’ve yet to make my way to Sicily to sample authentic caponata, but learning to make this dish has deepened my desire to explore the island. Mark my words, I’ll get there someday.
Caponata recipes vary from region to region and household to household. This recipe is where I landed. I took some cooking cues from my ratatouille recipe, which also features roasted eggplant stirred into a simmering tomato sauce. Caponata’s flavors are even deeper and more complex largely due to the intense agrodolce factor, or the interplay between sweet (honey and raisins) and sour (vinegar and capers).
I can’t claim this recipe is entirely authentic, but I hope it offers you a little taste of Sicily.
How to Serve Caponata
Caponata is a fun and versatile dish whether you serve it as an appetizer, a side dish or a light meal. Traditionally, caponata was served alongside fish or meat dishes. Caponata offers bold, lively flavors that will complement grilled entrées and late summer feasts, and it packs well for picnics.
Caponata is a great make-ahead dish. To give the flavors time to mingle, let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or ideally, a full day. I prefer my caponata warmed or at room temperature, but some enjoy it cold. I believe caponata would freeze well for later if you’d like to preserve a taste of late summer. Bottom line—do as you please!
Watch How to Make Caponata
Wondering what to eat with caponata? Here are some suggestions:
- Crostini offers the perfect base for caponata since it’s crisp and sturdy (pita chips or crackers would work in a pinch)
- Cheese plates
- Olives or Torn Olives with Almonds, Celery & Parmesan
- Raw tomato and herb-based salads, like Caprese Salad, Easy Tomato Salad, Panzanella or even Fattoush
- Moving further from convention, caponata goes well with improvised meals of pasta, eggs or sandwiches
Some Brief Caponata History
For context, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located just south of Italy. Over many centuries, Sicily was invaded by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans (French) and Spaniards. Each culture left a mark on Sicilian cuisine.
In my research, I’ve learned that caponata is as diverse as the history of Sicily. Caponata inherited eggplant and its sweet and sour (agrodolce) flavor from the Arabs, olives from the Greeks, and tomatoes from Italy (or are they from Spanish aristocrats?). The recipe seems to have drawn inspiration from vegetable dishes of Spain (pisto manchego) and France (ratatouille) as well. Even the roots of the name caponata are highly debated.
Recommended Reading on Caponata & Sicilian Cuisine
- A History of the Sicilian Caponata by Clifford A. Wright
- Eating the Arab Roots of Sicilian Cuisine by Adam Leith Gollner
- Eggplant Caponata: History of a Traditional Dish by Brunella Farina
- Caponata, a mosaic of foods from Sicily by Bill St. John
- The Medieval Beginnings of Sicilian Cuisine by Clifford A. Wright
How to Make Caponata
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s the gist:
- Roast the eggplant. Traditionally, caponata is made with fried eggplant. Since eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge, I’ve significantly lightened up this dish by roasting the eggplant in a few tablespoons of oil instead. Roasted eggplant is golden, caramelized and beautifully suited for caponata. No need to salt the eggplant beforehand.
- Prepare and cook the onion, celery and bell pepper. Since the eggplant requires about 30 minutes in the oven, we’ll have time to chop these vegetables and get them going.
- Add garlic, followed by crushed tomatoes. We’ll sauté the garlic just long enough to enhance its flavor before pouring in the tomatoes.
- Then add olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, honey, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. This is a lot to add at once—you can combine all of these in a bowl in advance to streamline this step.
- Stir in the roasted eggplant, followed by a handful of fresh herbs. Almost done! Now you can tweak the flavors to make your caponata taste just right. If you have the time, let the caponata chill in the fridge for several hours, or overnight, before serving. I love it freshly made, too, though.
More Eggplant Recipes to Enjoy
- Baba Ganoush
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Roasted Summer Vegetables
- Ratatouille
- Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Orzo Pasta
As always, please let me know how you like your caponata in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Caponata
Learn how to make homemade caponata with this recipe! This boldly flavored Sicilian appetizer or side dish is perfect for late summer meals. Recipe yields about 6 side servings.
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 smallish eggplants (about 1 ¾ pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, divided, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- ¼ cup pitted green olives (ideally Castelvetrano), roughly chopped
- ¼ cup raisins, red or golden
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, to taste
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley and/or basil
- Homemade Crostini, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to it.
- Place the cubed eggplant on the prepared pan. Sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon of the salt, drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and promptly toss to coat (some of the eggplant pieces will be more saturated with oil than the others, and that’s ok). Roast the eggplant in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway, until deeply golden.
- In the meantime, warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and about 10 twists of black pepper. Cook until the onions are tender and just starting to turn golden, about 9 to 12 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, honey, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the roasted eggplant and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in most of the fresh herbs, reserving a small handful for garnish. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Adjust to taste to find your desired balance of tangy-sweet-spicy-salty. Add more vinegar (by the tablespoon), honey (by the teaspoon), red pepper flakes (I like at least ¼ teaspoon more, but I like spice), and/or salt (for more overall flavor). Transfer it to a serving bowl and top with the remaining herbs.
- For best flavor, allow the caponata to rest at room temperature for an hour, or longer in the refrigerator. Serve warm or at room temperature (some even enjoy it chilled), with crostini if desired. Caponata will keep for about 5 days, covered, in the fridge. I suspect it would freeze well for several months, too.
Notes
Change it up: Aside from the eggplant and tomatoes, the vegetables here are flexible—you could add an extra bell pepper or omit the bell pepper entirely. You could add some carrot or zucchini or yellow squash. If you don’t like raisins, leave them out. Not all caponata recipes call for them, anyway. You might enjoy pine nuts sprinkled on top, which is another regional variation.
Make it vegan: Substitute sugar for the honey.
Make it gluten free: This dish is gluten free, as long as you serve it with gluten-free accompaniments.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Can I roast fresh tomatoes with the eggplant in place of canned tomatoes
Hi there! Yes, I think you could roast about one pound of tomatoes in place of the canned tomatoes. I would roast them at the same time, but on a separate baking dish on another rack. You’ll want to break them down a bit further (maybe with a wooden spoon or by chopping) before adding them to the pot. Please let me know if you give that a try!
Thank you for this recipe! I visited Sicily last Feb 2020 and Caponata was one of the favorite dishes I tasted. I vowed to make this upon my return and so far have not. This now gives me the motivation … looks like delicious recipe.
Let me know how it compares, Alison! I hope you have fun going down memory lane. :)
You may be interested to know that Jewish Sicilians are tributed with introducing the eggplant (and other widely consumed foods, such as fennel) to mainstream Sicilian — and general Italian — cuisine. Hence, caponata likely has its roots in Sephardic Jewish cooking. For more information about caponata and its Jewish links, see for instance: https://www.thefooddictator.com/the-hirshon-sicilian-jewish-eggplant-relish-capunata-ebraica-siciliana/
That’s interesting, I will definitely check out your link! Thank you for sharing, Rebecca. It seems like caponata has had a lot of variation over the years. It has quite the history!
Tutto bene! Can’t wait to try it!
Brilliant idea to roast the eggplant first! I’ve made caponata a grand total of once because, while I’m by no means shy around fats, I was actually dismayed at how much oil the eggplant needed to cook through! I think may have shouted at it (STOP! WHY ARE YOU SO GREEDY?). I’ll definitely give this a try. Thanks!!
I hope you love it! Be sure to let me know what you think, Sophia.
I’ve never had caponata, but Sicily is at the top of my “cities to visit list!” So this recipe will help fill some of the wanderlust! I think there’s one last week of summer left over here so it’ll be perfect for this weekend!
Sue and I had Caponata for lunch today. I roasted my on Tomatoes and I had some frozen cubs of EVO/basil out of our garden. I didn’t have and raisins so I added fig spread in place of the raisins and sugar.
It is one of the best recipes I has from your blog.
Thanks
I love the idea of fig instead of raisins! I’m going to try that when I make it today! Thanks Bob!
This looks like a great caponata! I like mine with pine nuts so will add those.
Just to let you know – recently I’ve been cooking your wonderful crispy tofu recipe in the air fryer, and wow! It takes it to a whole new level. Crispiness to the max! And you don’t even need to press it.
I’m happy to hear that, Sasha! Thank you for sharing.
I think roasted plum tomatoes would be great for this dish. I have done this several times this summer because they taste so good! Halve about a dozen ripe Romas, coat with EVOO and place in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle some chopped garlic, black pepper and fresh thyme leaves over the top. Bake at 425 F. for about 45 minutes (longer than the eggplant will take). Let cool, and the peels slip off easily. Thank you for this Caponata recipe!
Found this in my inbox when I was thinking of what to make for dinner yesterday and had everything to make it. This was so yummy! My kids loved it too. The heat was perfect with your measurements used. It will be on the rotation of meals for autumn!
Hi Kate,
If you are interested in learning more about Jewish culinary history (which will surely contain information about Italian Jewish cuisine), I highly recommend the award-winning works of the late Gil Marks. On the subject of Italian Jewish cooking, you may find “Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen” by Joyce Goldstein of interest. She provides historical context for the recipes she includes and also discusses the influences Jews in Italy had on the general Italian cuisine.
Best regards and happy reading!
Rebecca
Thank you for sharing, Rebecca! I appreciate the recommendation.
You’re welcome, Kate! I enjoy reading your posts, and as you can probably tell, I am also a big fan of culinary history.
All the best to you,
Rebecca
Mine looks just like the photos. I followed the directions except that I used olive oil spray instead of drizzling the oil, as it seems to coat the eggplant more thoroughly (and eggplant can take up an absurd amount of oil). The mixture of flavors is delightful, and capers and green olives are essential. I wonder if preserved lemon might add – just a thought. My figs are just about ready, so I wonder if the suggestion of one commentator to use fig would be amazing as well.
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you loved it.
I absolutely love caponata. I’ve made a lot of eggplant recipes from all over the world over the years, but caponata is still one of my favorites.
I’ve personally really enjoyed the caponata with a healthy dash of cinnamon – cinnamon is pretty common in some Middle Eastern recipes and it works so well here.
You’re right about the fried eggplant soaking up tons of oil. I can’t wait to try this recipe with your roasted method!
Awesome recipe, no husband made this as a main meal served on rice and we had NO Leftovers!!!!!!!
Wow, tastes phenomenal…….looks meh. I’m sure that’s my struggle making things look good but…….wow
This is a perfect recipe! I followed it exactly, including seasonings, and it is delicious!.. Even my husband loves it! I find that this is the case with all of your recipes. The directions are clear and specific, the seasonings are perfect and the results reliable and scrumptious! You are my “go to” for all vegetarian recipes. Thank you!
A little work, especially if you accidently buy olives with the pits still in them, but very good.
Made this twice following your recipe. It tastes divine. Had it often whilst on holiday in Italy. Yours tastes just the same. ❤
A-MAZE-BALLS!! Made this and served it with cocktails with French bread and made GF Pita Bread for those who couldn’t do gluten. It was a hit.. had leftovers for breakfast and have made another batch for the freezer. Thanks so much!!
Fabulous! I loved the colors and smells as I put this together for friends tonight. Never having had caponata, I used a flavored blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar and reduced the honey. Probably not authentic, but absolutely delicious!
Best Caponata ever and tastes even better the next day! Used organic canned diced tomatoes instead of fire roasted as I wasn’t able to find any in the grocery store. Still turned out amazing. Thanks for another great recipe Kate!
Thank you for this stunning recipe. I just prepared this for a group of four guests, and everyone asked for seconds!
I replaced the raisins with added brown sugar as some of my guests dislike them and traded honey for sugar to make it vegan. I also used diced tomatoes because I couldn’t find crushed and balsamic vinegar to add further tang. It was a hit! An excellent way to use up the last summer vegetables at your farmer’s market.
I’m happy you loved it and that it was a hit! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
This was a delicious recipe! I made it with the recommended crostini recipe.
I’m not a big fan of capers, green olives or eggplant, but I’ve been trying to find meals that change my mind. This one certainly did! I’m sad that my spouse and I ate it all already. Thanks, Kate and Cookie for tying ingredients together to make something so yummy!
I’m excited you loved it, Amanda! Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely delicious! It made a perfect lunch with sourdough crostini and mixed greens. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. Thanks!
Another delicious eggplant dish. The caponata is very good. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kathy! I’m excited you enjoyed it.
Hi Lisa
Could you let me know your recipe for GF pits bread please ?
I have tried a few but none the best
So hoping I can find a tried and tested one from you to enjoy with this caponata
Thanks !
I’d never had this before making this recipe and it’s such a winner for me!
Ps this is my first ever comment to a recipe, that’s how serious I am :)
I’m so glad you loved this one, Amy! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
I don’t usually comment on recipes but this was amazing!
I couldn’t find fire roasted tomates so just used a plain tomato can and added a lot of cayenne pepper. I also didn’t use all the vinegar recommended on the recipe but the dish was nevertheless delicious. Adding fresh basil at the end truly elevates the taste.
I’ll make sure to check your website for future recipe ideas :)
I’m so happy you did, Louise! Thank you for taking the time.
Fire roasted tomatoes aren’t at all spicy so not sure why you’d substitute with cayenne pepper? Fire roasted means there’s a bit of char and smokiness, so the way to substitute that would be adding smoked paprika or smoked salt to the tomatoes. Or simply not adding anything since it isn’t typical to use fire roasted tomatoes in caponata to begin with.
I love love eggplant and had 2 in the fridge I needed to cook before going bad. Instead of my usual side dish of grilling, I decided to try making caponata for the first time and came across your amazing recipe. Oh my gosh, it was so delicious! I omitted raisins & capers (not a fan) and added a splash of white wine (per another recipe I saw). This was so easy to follow and the flavors definitely melded the more I let it simmer. Thank you for this easy & delicious recipe. It will be my new “go-to” =)
I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for sharing, Nancy.
Hi Kate! This recipe looks fabulous, I will be looking for eggplant this weekend! I thought you would also like to know that the tomato originated from the Americas, in South America and Mexico. In fact, the word tomato comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec language), tomatl. Here is one link with some info: Glad to have found you, Cheers!!
I just made this tonight after dinner. The kitchen smelled so good that everyone came back to the kitchen to find out what I was making! I tasted after finish cooking and Oh My Goodness!!!! It is so good! This will go into my keeper’s recipe! The only thing I will change next time is cut all veggies in the same size! Thank you so much for sharing!! ❤️
I’m delighted you loved it, Noriko. Thank you for your review!
Loved this! I actually added it to marina sauce for spaghetti and added some tempe and it was perfect!
I’m happy you loved it, Jocelyn! Thank you for your review.
Your caponata is the best I’ve had/made. So easy to tweak to individual tastes and so flavorful. It almost didn’t make it to the table after all my (just one more) tastes. Oooooh, that’s good❤️
Thank you! I’m happy you love it, Ev.
My husband and I are trying to eat more veggies. And we love this recipe and many of your others as well! This caponata is delicious! We paired it with yellowfin tuna last night.
I made this and had it over rice. It was phenomenal and so delicious bursting with so many amazing flavors. It’s fast and easy to make- my husband and I loved it!
Sounds delicious, Monica!
I didn’t cook it yet but I love the sound of your caponata and, in these horrid times, in transports me from my beautiful Aegean island to sunny Sicily. Thank you. I’ll be looking out for more recipes, even though I’m not a vegetarian; it’s Lent here in Greece so it’s a meat-free time until at least Easter.
I made the caponata and it was delicious. I added some cinnamon and a teaspoon of harissa paste to the recipe. I served it with sesame seed tofu. A hearty meal
Thank you for your review, Dariel!
Excellent even without the capers, I live in a small island in the Bahamas where all ingredients are not always available, but this easy recipe definitely made a lot of peoples very happy
I’m glad you were able to enjoy it! Thank you for your review, Jeanlu.
This is a great recipe! I froze it and it was wonderful even after a few weeks in the freezer. Thanks for all your delicious and easy to follow recipes!
I took a chance and made this yesterday as part of my weekly meal prep. I paired it with 1 cup of short grain brown rice to make more of a lunch meal out of it. LOVE IT!! It will be a regular part of my meal prep rotation going forward. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out AMAZING. I will likely add some more crushed red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch as you recommend, Kate. The flavors are layered, bold and delicious…and the real stamp of approval is my carnivore husband loves it too. Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Thank you for sharing how you made this one, Danielle! I’m happy you loved it and got creative.
Awesome recipe. Everyone loved the combination of crostini and goat cheese. Easy to make. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Joel! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Loved this recipe. I prefer a caponata with the raisins, capers and a bit of spice so this was perfect. I got the eggplants and herbs from my garden and the rest of the ingredients from the store or my pantry, and used it as a side dish for grilled chicken with arugula salad and Italian baguette. Will use the leftovers for sandwiches. Delicious, healthy and budget-friendly.
Sounds delicious, Ann! Thank you for sharing.
The caponata came out delicious. I love the mix of flavors (the mint was a nice touch). We are allergic to onions and garlic so those were out. I often substitute fennel bulb (chopped and browned like you would do to onions.) Fennel is not the same flavor as onion but it is a similar texture and has a wonderful, bold flavor of its own. We will be making this again!!
I’m glad you were able to enjoy it with your substitutes, Rosemary!
Made mostly as directed. I did include carrots and doubled the raisins and olives for texture. It was SO good! Reminded me of my Sicilian-Italian roots.
Wonderful, Madelyn!
Oh my gosh what a flavor punch! As per some of the suggestions in the comments I roasted my wealth of garden tomatoes for the base instead of canned and used a chili fig spread we had in the fridge instead of honey and raisins. Also homegrown jalapeños instead of chili flakes. The result was rich, complex, and absolutely heaven! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m glad you loved it, Lacey!
OMG this is soooooo yummy, I added extra veggies (1 carrot and 1 zucc) and since I did not have the fire roasted tomatoes but a whole buch of fresh ripe tomatoes from the garden I roasted some in the oven and it turned out very nice! Thanks Kate, hope you are doing well, hugs from Montreal!
I’m delighted you loved it, Brigitte! Thank you for your review.
This is a brilliant recipe. I made it with 3 aubergines and adjusted everything accordingly – though kept to one can of tomatoes. I also roasted the peppers on a tray below the aubergines as I think roasting peppers brings out their sweetness and added them at the same time as the aubergines. Really versatile, it goes well with spagetti or with meatballs or monkfish.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Ayanna! I appreciate your review.
This is a brilliant recipe. I made it with 3 aubergines and adjusted everything accordingly – though kept to one can of tomatoes. I also roasted three chopped peppers on a tray below the aubergines as I think roasting peppers brings out their sweetness and added them at the same time as the aubergines. Really versatile, it goes well with spagetti or with meatballs or monkfish.
This is one of my favorites!!! So delicious!
I’m glad you like it, Carolyn!
I am making caponata now for a party tomorrow. An Irish Franciscan priest who loves Italian food requested only Italian food.
I made 2x the recipe as we expect 50+ people. The eggplant got 40 minutes in the oven. The other ingredients got their 10 minutes. It doesn’t look done. Maybe due to extra mass. Did i answer my own question? Smells terrific. Thank you.
I made this a few weeks ago for 1 and it was awesome.
Grazie mille.
Hi ,can I make this one day ahead of time ?
Hi! Yes, this makes great leftovers.
My husband made this as a side for my birthday dinner. Flavors were deep and amazing. Leftovers are in the fridge and I can’t wait to see how the flavor developed even more. Bravo!