Caponata is an Italian appetiser that’s rupturing with flavor! Eggplant and Mediterranean vegetables make a tangy, garlicky spread that’s perfect over crusty bread. Here’s a new appetiser that we’re head over heels with: caponata! What’s caponata, you ask? This Sicilian specialized is an appetizer and a side dish, essentially a sweet and sour ratatouille with cooked eggplant, tomatoes and onion. It’s frequently spread on crusty bread as an appetiser or antipasti (as the Italians would say). It’s so filled with tangy, garlicky flavor that when you’ve taken one bite, you’ll likely wish to feast on the whole serving meal. Hold onto your hats! Here’s how to make Italian caponata … and after that how to serve it like the Italians do.What’s in caponata?Caponata is a traditional Italian eggplant dish. And like any timeless meal (like potato salad or coleslaw), there are unlimited variations on how to make it. Alex and I looked into to make certain this version has all the traditional aspects: and we have actually personalized a bit to our personal tastes! Here’s what remains in our variation of caponata: Eggplant (and it does not require to be drained! see below) Red pepper, red onion and celeryGarlicCanned tomatoesOlive oilBalsamic vinegar and sugar to stabilize tangy and sweetCapers to add briny, salted flavorFresh basil and pine nuts, to garnishSome other additions you’ll see in some versions: green olives to add even more briny taste, and golden raisins to include more sweet. We nixed both in taste of a straightforward, timeless caponata: but you can definitely add them if you ‘d like! (I ‘d love to add the golden raisins, but Alex is less of a salty-sweet person than I am!) No need to salt and drain pipes the eggplant!If you’ve prepared with eggplant in the past, you’ll understand: many eggplant recipes call for letting it drain with salt on it for 1 hour to extract a few of the bitterness from the eggplant. If you resemble us, you’ve most likely questioned: is this extra action truly necessary?We did some research, and think what? It’s not truly essential in this day and age. Per
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