← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 800 g aubergines (about 2 large), cut into 2 cm cubes
• 6 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 3 sticks Celery, sliced
• 400 g passata or chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Capers, rinsed
• 80 g pitted green olives, halved
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 2 tbsp Pine nuts, toasted
• 60 ml red wine vinegar
• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• 1 handful basil leaves
• Salt

Method

1. Toss the aubergine with 1 tsp salt in a colander and leave for 20 min, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the aubergine in batches for 6–8 min until golden and soft. Set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion and celery over medium heat for 8 min until soft but still with a little crunch.
4. Stir in the passata, capers, olives and raisins and simmer for 10 min until thick.
5. Mix the vinegar and sugar until dissolved, pour it into the pan and let it bubble for 2 min so the sharpness softens. Return the aubergine and stir gently.
6. Take off the heat, stir in the pine nuts and torn basil and leave to cool for at least 30 min. Serve at room temperature.

Tips

• Caponata tastes best the day after it is made, once the sweet and sour flavours settle; it keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
• Contains pine nuts, so leave them out for nut allergies.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Lazy Cat Kitchen Pasta Grammar