Sicilian Caponata Easy Recipe

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This Sicilian Caponata recipe was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon®. Thanks for reading and supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Caponata Siciliana by enrilemoine

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What is Sicilian Caponata?

Ingredients to make caponata by enrilemoine

Caponata goes into the same category as my favorite Mediterranean appetizers: ratatouille and bohémienne, and like both of them, it is made out of eggplants and tomatoes. All the summer flavors in the best Italian antipasto!

Traditionally caponata, as many Mediterranean dishes, are flavored with sautéed onions and garlic. But I substituted minced fresh garlic with my favorite Premium Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base.

Cooking with Better Than Bouillon

BTB Roasted Garlic Base by enrilemoine

If you follow this blog, you may know I love Better Than Bouillon. They are concentrated pastes that can be used to infuse flavor into your meals. I’ve been using their Beef Base forever to make my fake ragú, and I’ve developed recipes, like my pumpkin risotto with goat cheese, for them too, using their premium Vegetable Base.

Antipasto in the making by enrilemoine

So when they invited me to try their vegetarian and certified vegan bases, I said yes and selected their Premium Roasted Garlic Base. Great choice! Now I know this will be a staple in my kitchen. Add a teaspoon to any recipe involving garlic and you’ll take it to the next level. I guarantee you. And I cannot wait for the fall season to make a garlic soup with this…

Caponata in progress by enrilemoine

Besides their Roasted Garlic Base, Better Than Bouillon vegetarian and certified vegan bases include Seasoned Vegetable Base, Organic Seasoned Vegetable Base, Vegetarian No Beef Base, and Vegetarian No Chicken Base.

Sicilian Caponata

Caponata: The Perfect Antipasto

Now, back to my caponata. Its taste is definitely less delicate than the one of the ratatouille. Caponata brings the perfect combination of strong and well-defined flavors thanks to the addition of black and green olives, non-pareil capers, oregano, and a touch of balsamic vinegar. For all of that, it’s the perfect antipasto that Italians enjoy before a good pasta dish.

Caponata alla Siciliana by enrilemoine

How to make Caponata alla Siciliana

By far, caponata is the dish most people associate with the rustic flavorful Sicilian cuisine. It can be eaten as an appetizer, side dish, main course, as a snack with a piece of rustic bread, or with pasta, either as a cold pasta salad or as a topping for a warm bowl of noodles. Serve it with fish and it’s heavenly delicious!

Because I used the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base, I didn’t add any salt, and trust me: it’s not needed. At all. A good thing to do is to peel the tomatoes: by doing this you’ll enjoy a better texture and will avoid finding pieces of tomato peals in your antipasto. As I always say: whenever a recipe calls for peeled tomatoes, just peel them off. It’s worth every second.

Caponata Siciliana by enrilemoine

To make this recipe you will need some utensils and ingredients that you can easily find online without leaving your house, including:

Here is my recipe. I hope you like it and thanks for subscribing to my YouTube channel and visiting my Amazon store.

Bite of antipasto #byenrilemoine
Sicilian Caponata
5 from 27 votes

Sicilian Caponata

This Sicilian Caponata is a cousin of the ratatouille. It's the perfect antipasto but it can also be served as part of a cold pasta salad, or over warm noodles. With a piece of rustic bread it is delicious and even better to pair it with fish.
Prep Time10 minutes
35 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 97kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup red onion chopped
  • 1 cup celery stalks chopped
  • 4 cups eggplant cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 4 cups tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
  • 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base
  • ½ cup manzanilla olives stuffed with red peppers sliced
  • ½ cup black olives pitted and sliced
  • ¼ cup non-pareil capers
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 sprig of parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat.
  • Add the onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the eggplant and cook until soft, 5 more minutes.
  • Add the garlic paste, tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano, balsamic vinegar and sugar, and stir.
  • Reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Season with black pepper to taste.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Sicilian Caponata
Amount Per Serving
Calories 97 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 435mg19%
Potassium 352mg10%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 780IU16%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Antipastos, Tapas & Appetizers
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Caponata alla Siciliana, Caponata alla Siciliana recipe, How to make Sicilian Caponata, Sicilian Caponata, Sicilian Caponata Recipe
Author: Enri

Notes

If you don’t have Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic, substitute with 4 minced garlic cloves. In that case, you also will need to add salt to taste.

Enri
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48 thoughts on “Sicilian Caponata Easy Recipe”

  7. 5 stars
    This looks really good. I am glad you mentioned the salt issue — that was the first thing I thought of. However, you made a good point about just not using any other salt (and it worked well) which makes me more interested in giving this a try. Thank you!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    This looks absolutely yummy! I haven’t tried this yet though I’ve tried ratatouille in the past and I liked it! I hope I get the chance to make this someday. Thank you for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    I have seen Better Than Bouillon in the stores but never tried it. Now, we will! We enjoy eating eggplant but don’t have many recipes for preparing it. This caponata with the Better Than Bouillon Garlic Base sounds delicious.

    Reply

    • I absolutely agree with you Paolo. Today, I posted my orechiette with salsa di noci recipe, and for lunch I’m having pasta alla Norma. I can have Italian food everyday!

  18. 5 stars
    This recipe looks amazingly delicious! The combination of the capers, black olives, eggplants is a must! I will try with the roasted garlic based!

    Reply
5 from 27 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Soy Enriqueta Lemoine

I am a writer who cooks or a cook who writes: the order of the qualities does not alter the product. Since 2010 I made SAVOIR FAIRE the place where my two passions converge and now I develop recipes professionally and work as a strategist and creator of digital content, including the production of cooking videos. Read more about Enri.

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