Caponata siciliana
Caponata siciliana
A Sicilian dish of fried eggplant simmered in a sweet-and-sour agrodolce sauce with celery, onion, olives and capers. Today it is served as a contorno or antipasto, and it is registered as a traditional agri-food product (P.A.T.) of the Sicily region.
Found across Sicily, with the Palermo version considered the simplest, most basic form
Palermo — The Palermo version is considered the simplest form, finishing eggplant, olives, onion, celery, capers and tomato sauce in an agrodolce
Main ingredients
- Eggplant
- Celery
- Onion
- Green olives
- Capers
- Tomato sauce
- Vinegar
- Sugar
How it goes
These are the bones of the method. Quantities and detail live in the sources.
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Fry the eggplant
Cut the eggplant into large cubes, fry in oil, and set aside.
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Cook the aromatics
In a separate pan, cook the celery and onion until softened.
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Add the tomato
Add tomato sauce and reduce, then stir in the olives and capers.
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Return the eggplant
Add the fried eggplant back to the pan and toss to combine.
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Finish agrodolce
Add vinegar and sugar to bring out the sweet-and-sour balance, then let cool slightly.
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Let it rest
Cool and let sit at room temperature for a while so the flavors settle before serving.
Pasta it follows
Why it works
Pasta alla NormaA menu from the same island and the same Catania area, sharing the motif of fried eggplant with this dish. 
Pasta con le SardeAlso from Palermo. The pine nuts and raisins in the agrodolce of pasta con le sarde echo the technique of caponata's own sweet-and-sour sauce. 
Pesto alla trapaneseAlso Sicilian, from Trapani. This menu shape follows a light primo of raw almonds and tomato with a cooked, sweet-and-sour vegetable secondo, contrasting both temperature and technique. 
Spaghetti alla puttanescaA pairing that shares the ingredients olives and capers. Following a warm tomato primo with a room-temperature, sweet-and-sour vegetable dish lets the same ingredients reset the palate through a shift in temperature and acidity.