Sicilian Caponata | Healthy Italian Recipes
With sweet, tart, and salty flavors, this explosive Italian dish is a fantastic choice for your dinner table.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds eggplants diced
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil or any neutral-tasting oil for frying
- 1/3 cup capers
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion big, sliced thinly (easier if mandoline is used)
- 1/2 cup green olives pitted and quartered
- 1 cup passata di pomodoro (tomato purèe or tomato sauce)
- 1 celery stalk cleaned and diced
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar raw, can be adjusted according to taste
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar can be adjusted according to taste
- 1/4 cup basil leaves fresh
Instructions
- In a large bowl of water, mix the coarse salt then soak the eggplants. After 15 minutes, drain completely and squeeze lightly to send away the excess liquid.
- Over medium to high heat, in a large saucepan with the sunflower oil, fry the eggplants until they turn golden brown. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding in the saucepan. When cooked, transfer to a large paper towel-lined dish to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.
- Rinse the capers under the faucet then soak them in in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, drain and squeeze lightly to send away the excess liquid. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, in a small to medium saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, cook the onions. When the water has evaporated, put the heat down, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil then sautè them until they turn lightly brownish. Add the passata di pomodoro and cook for about 15 minutes together. Turn off the fire then set aside.
- Over medium heat, in a medium cooking pot filled with boiling water, cook the celery for 10 minutes then drain. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar and vinegar well then set aside.
- For the final phase, over medium to high heat, in a large saucepan, add the remaining olive oil then sautè the celery for about 3 minutes. Add the onions with passata di pomodoro, 1/3 cup of water, olives, capers, eggplants and basil.
- After about 10 minutes, add the sugar and vinegar mixture. Adjust the taste according to your liking by adding more vinegar or sugar. Cook for another 20 minutes.
- Serve at room temperature or cold. Caponata tastes better when cooked much ahead, even better after a day. Keep refrigerated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2090mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 276IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg |
| SmartPoints (Freestyle): 7
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 7
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 7