Enjoy the cool Autumn nights with this warm and hearty Oven Baked Caponata!
Growing up, from time to time my mother and father would go back and forth in Italian, usually whenever they didn’t want myself or my brothers ‘prying’ in on their conversation. Comically, this was sometimes a more frustrating task for them than one might think, with not-insignificant portions of their conversations being lost in translation between the ‘Standard Italian’ of my Lucanian father and my mother’s fully Sicilian dialect.
Remember, Italy’s unification was well within the living memory of my grandparents, while the country’s linguistic standardization happened well after they emigrated. Translation – regional differences were still quite real back then.
This distinction in their otherwise shared heritage possessed a pointed culinary edge – one that I wouldn’t fully appreciate until much later, since I largely took the style of my mother’s cooking for granted – it was simply a way of life, and one that I myself naturally emulated. Who knew that the garlic and oil sauces, grilled vegetables, and caponata I grew up with would become the vogue ‘authentic genius’ of some of this century’s most celebrated celebrity chefs.
That being said, more than perhaps any other recipe, caponata concisely encapsulates the flavor profile of the Sicilian cuisine, with spongy texture of the roasted eggplant thoroughly absorbing the caper, garlic, and pepper-laced juices of the sauce.
While caponata is sometimes served as a sort of ‘warmed vegetable salad,’ my preference, and its more typical serving style, is as a topping for bread either as the centerpiece of an antipasto or as the side to the main course.
The ‘meat’ of this dip, or salad if you prefer, is diced eggplant. While I typically peel my eggplants, some prefer to leave the skin. This is purely preference.
Once diced, combine the eggplants with two large diced tomatoes, chopped celery, garlic, capers, olives, and sliced Italian peppers. Now, I am well aware that there are some prominent caponata recipes sans the peppers, since some chefs believe that the peppers ‘take over’ the recipe. Honestly, this is akin to heresy in my book, one of those ‘authentic’ notes that, if removed, simply change the structure and flavor of the original a tad too much for my taste.
Again, however, this is preference.
From there, bake the mixed vegetables for about thirty minutes in the oven. After that, add in the crushed tomatoes, and give it a toss.
Then, mix together the raisins, sugar, and vinegar, and add that into the caponata, and then continue baking for about ninety minutes to two hours.
Now, while you may certainly serve this hot, caponata universally tastes worlds better the following day, I would strongly suggest letting it sit in the fridge for at least twenty-four hours.
Oven Baked Caponata
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
Ingredients
- 2 whole eggplant – peeled and diced
- 1 large sweet onion – chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic – chopped
- 3 stalks of celery – chopped
- 4 Italian peppers – chopped
- 2 large vine ripe tomatoes – diced
- 8 oz. can of black olives – drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley – chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil – chopped
- 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3 tbs. capers
- 2 tbs. vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
- Toss all the eggplant, celery, tomatoes, onions, garlic, capers, olives and peppers with olive oil and the seasonings.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and gently toss.
- Mix together the raisins, sugar and vinegar; add to the caponata and then continue to bake for at least another hour and half to two hours. Taste to adjust seasonings and make sure the eggplant is soft.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Serve warm or cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
Beyond that, it’s also best served at room temperature, again to maximize flavor.
And…well, that’s it. Enjoy!
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[email protected]'s Recipes says
Irresistible! I am currently obsessed with oven baked veggies, so this is a perfect treat for me.
Diane says
This sounds fantastic a bit like Ratatouille but this will make a nice change. Have a good week Diane
Chiara says
this sounds delicious and tasty ! Have a nice day my dear, xoxo
Daniela Mercieca says
This was truly wonderful. Everyone enjoyed it immensely. I’m planning to make more. But i wanted to ask whether it can be frozen for later consumption?
Living the Gourmet says
Hi Daniela, I do not recommend freezing it. But it does keep well in the fridge and improves after a day or two. You can store caponata in the fridge in an air-tight container for 5-7 days. Enjoy!
Betty Haniotakis says
I came across your recipe when searching for baked caponata, and chose to try it in order to avoid the tedious part of sauteing. The caponata is in the oven for the first half hour in accordance with the recipe. (I wonder if this is necessary??) I’ll try to get back to you after we have eaten it, having in mind your excellent suggestion that it will be better the next day. I do have one small quibble with the recipe – at the top it says 10 min prep, 30 min cook, 40 min total. This was quite misleading, as the directions call for an addition 1.5 – 2 hours baking.
I had no fennel seeds – I often replace them with anise seeds, with a similar effect, but couldn’t find the jar in my overcrowded spice cupboard. I will also add toasted pine nuts and sprinkle on top for those who want it.
I’ll be going through the rest of your website to see what other goodies I can find.
Living the Gourmet says
Dear Betty, Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I appreciate your feedback and adjusted the cook time 🙂 I look forward to hearing back and hope you enjoyed the baked caponata! Have a beautiful day, Catherine
Caro says
Am I use sultanas instead of raisins????
Living the Gourmet says
You can use either here! 🙂
Caro88 D says
Thank you. Also when aubergines are out of season is there an alternative? I read sometimes root veg are used in absence of aubergine?? Caroline. Ps. Hoping to try it this week. Will let u know how it turns out.
Living the Gourmet says
Dear Caroline, I suggest using green or yellow squash in place of eggplants for this particular dish. Thank you for stopping by and enjoy!