Lol
I used fresh tomatoes and tomato paste, for this riff on pasta alla Norma. I don’t have Ricotta Salata on hand. Parm to the rescue
I followed most of Kenji’s recipe. I only cook 1 cup of dry small pasta for us. I used the 16 basil leaves from them Saveur recipe. I added a minced onion that had been sautéed, from the Saveur recipe. I cut down the amount of garlic to 1 clove (Kenji mentioned 3 cloves)
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I’ve never been to Sicily … I know I’d love the food.
This CAPONATA recipe is from David Lebovitz, Adapted from Coming Home to Sicily by Fabrizia Lanza.
We’ve talked about caponata before on this site. I’d never eaten it before I made this recipe … with a few changes.
I triple the recipe since it keeps well and my friends always want some too. From advice from elsewhere, after I cube the eggplant (I prefer Chinese eggplants) I microwave it in batches, bit of salt, on paper plate for 10 minutes, then later on it gets fried. Once I tried baking but fried is better. I don’t add salt after frying because of olives and capers, even though he has you rinse and dry off the capers.
Instead of tomato sauce, I use slow roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic. Used red wine vinegar, not white.
He wants you to pit green olives; that’s too difficult. I buy spicy pitted green olives at Rainbow in SF … didn’t have quite enough so pitted some Kalamatas. I add a small amount of dried currants and at the end mix in chopped fresh basil leaves.
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Looks fabulous! I wish I remembered where I found “my” caponata recipe, but I don’t.
The first time I ever had it was at an Italian place in Berlin near my office, which offered a fabulous lunch buffet. Their caponata is still my absolute gold standard, and it is about as basic as can be: eggplant, tomato, capers, celery, raisins, and toasted almond strewn atop.
My recipe involves TPSTOG is toasted in tomato paste, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, and the above ingredients.
As for the eggplant: always fry. The texture and flavor won’t be nearly as velvety and rich if it’s baked. Never skimp on the oil with eggplant.
The frying in batches is one of the reasons I only ever make this recipe for a crowd (plus it makes a lot, and people absolutely destroy it).
I may just be inspired to make it for a potluck I’m organizing for local home chefs this Sunday!
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Looks great! I didn’t know till I looked it up that caponata is sweet and sour.
Also this
Caponata is historically associated with Sicily’s Jewish community, and is sometimes still referred to as caponata alla giudia
Now, for all eggplant dishes, I roast slices in the oven.
EXCEPT this one.
Second time I made it I roasted cubes of eggplant and olive oil and it wasn’t half as good so I’ve been frying ever since. The trick of microwaving the cubes first is great and uses less oil.
I love roasting halved cherry tomatoes and garlic for it instead of using paste etc. Also good to use Chinese eggplants for this.
Great to make a day ahead and it’s all ready to go just waiting in the fridge.
I’ve not done that, and will give it a shot as per your recommendation. Do you salt & drain the cubes prior to microwaving?
I forgot that I also add a splash of aged balsamico in my recipe instead of adding a lot of sugar. I don’t actually remember now if I use sugar at all — it’s been far too long since I made it.
Guess I’ll adjust to taste 
PS: Yes to making a day ahead so the flavors can mingle and party overnight. I do wait to add the toasted slivered almonds until just before serving.
Another very popular caponata is caponata di pesce spada, which was on almost every menu in Palermo and surroundings when we visited last year.
And while I quite like grilled swordfish, I decidedly prefer the non-fishy version
I admit. I don’t love fennel as a vegetable or in a salad.
I have tried various orange and fennel salads, and fennel gratins.
I have some fennel on hand from San Giuseppe Day, when I decided not to use it in the pasta recipe that called for it.
I will try this fennel caponata tonight.
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Lots of Sicilian spinach recipes out there.
I plan to try this one soon.
…
Read through Lebovitz’ recipe … he doesn’t find it necessary to salt raw eggplants. (I do that step still for eggplant parm, etc.) Since I’ve been making it with Chinese eggplants, I don’t salt and drain first. Here’s from my written recipe:
Trim the stems off eggplant and cut into 1-inch pieces. Using a paper towel lined paper plate, lightly salt the eggplant pieces and place on paper plate and microwave in batches for 10 minutes.
I use those platter size Chinet paper plates.
At the end I use good red wine vinegar and a bit of honey. Sliced fresh basil leaves make it even better.
This is my 3rd bottle of aged Sherry vinegar that I love but it’s very expensive for me so I don’t buy it that often, love it in vinaigrette … wonder if I’d like here instead of red wine vinegar.
From Amazon, $22.40
GRAN CAPIRETE 50 - Spanish Sherry Vinegar Reserve (50 years old) - Glass bottle 8.45 Fl.Oz
Comes well packed in a glass bottle with cork stopper
Hmmm. It does say that you salt the pieces in your recipe, tho 
Also I think sherry vinegar may just be too dry, since you want that sweet & sour punch. I find RWV in combo with a little brown sugar & a splash of balsamic does the trick.
Once I mixed in toasted pine nuts and the look turned me off. Maybe I should try the toasted almond slices on top!
I’ve made Sicilian meatballs with pinenuts and dried currants; I loved them but my audience didn’t deserve/appreciate the extra expense.
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I’ve added raw pine nuts to the caponata, with the toasted almonds strewn atop. It really adds a nice, toasty finish to the dish.
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I salt , let it sit in a colander, and press out the water before frying or roasting, when I want the eggplant to have a firmer texture.
Kenji talks about salting vs not salting eggplant in the Pasta alla Norma recipe.
He finds unsalted eggplant soaks up more olive oil, which he wants in his Norma, so he doesn’t salt it in that recipe.
Someone in my household doesn’t tolerate salt, and watches his weight carefully, so I don’t fry eggplant too often for him. When I make Calabrese style eggplant Parm and other dishes for him, I cut the eggplants in half or in slices, and roast the eggplant, then squeeze out the liquid, before proceeding with tomatoes or other sauces.
Kenji’s recipe has a slow rise and the pizza is baked at 550⁰ F.
This recipe is quicker, and the pizza bakes at 450 ⁰F.
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Interesting. Virtually all Italians in KC came from Sicily so this is the pizza I grew up eating. Well, this and Pizza Hut.
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