RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Crockpot Meals

Eggplant Caponata with Pine Nuts

A slow-cooked Sicilian stew of eggplant, celery, tomatoes, olives, and capers in a tangy vinegar sauce, finished with toasted pine nuts and basil.

Why you'll love Eggplant Caponata with Pine Nuts

Caponata is the Sicilian eggplant stew that is sweet, sour, salty, and savory all at once, and it gets better as it sits. Eggplant, celery, onion, tomatoes, olives, and capers cook slowly together until silky, and a splash of red wine vinegar gives it its characteristic tang. Toasted pine nuts and fresh basil finish it.

The sweetness in this caponata comes from the vegetables. The onions cook down slowly and the tomatoes concentrate over the long cook, and a spoonful of balsamic adds depth, so the sauce has the sweet-sour balance caponata is known for. Salting the eggplant first draws out water so it turns creamy rather than soggy.

Serve it warm, at room temperature, or cold, as a side for grilled fish or meat, or on its own with eggs.

Quick overview: This Eggplant Caponata with Pine Nuts takes 30 min of hands-on time and about 4 hr 30 min in all and makes 6 servings, each about 1 cup. You'll need a slow cooker and a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Eggplant caponata topped with toasted pine nuts and basil
Prep 30 minCook 4 hrTotal 4 hr 30 minServes 6Serving about 1 cupYou'll need Slow cooker, Skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplants (about 2 lb), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 1/2 cup green or Kalamata olives, halved Label: olives, water, salt, and vinegar
  • 2 tbsp capers, rinsed Label: capers, water, vinegar, and salt
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/3 cup torn basil leaves

Instructions

  1. Salt the eggplant: Toss the eggplant with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt in a colander and let it drain for 20 minutes. Pat it dry.
  2. Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and celery for 8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
  3. Load the slow cooker: Put the eggplant, onion mixture, crushed tomatoes, olives, capers, red wine vinegar, balsamic, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the slow cooker and stir.
  4. Cook: Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours, until the eggplant is silky and the sauce has thickened.
  5. Finish: Taste and add more vinegar or salt if it needs it.
  6. Serve: Scatter the pine nuts and basil over the top and serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate for up to 1 week; it tastes best after a day.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Add fresh pine nuts and basil after reheating.

Variations

  • Bell pepper: Add a diced red bell pepper with the celery for more natural sweetness.
  • Cocoa: Stir in a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa, as some Sicilian cooks do, for depth.
  • Spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
  • Mint: Use mint in place of the basil.

Notes and tips

  • Salt the eggplant: It keeps the eggplant creamy instead of watery.
  • Brown the onion: Slowly cooked onion is where the sweetness comes from.
  • Rest it: Caponata tastes better after a day in the refrigerator.
  • Check the caper label: Capers should list capers, water, vinegar, and salt.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Eggplant brings fiber and turns silky and rich as it cooks.
  • Olive oil and pine nuts are the real fats, and olives add more.
  • Tomatoes, celery, and onion bring vitamin C and a deep, savory base.
  • Vinegar gives the stew its tang with no sugar needed.
  • As you eat, notice the sweet, sour, and salty flavors together, and pay attention to how a vegetable dish can feel rich and satisfying.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Eggplant Caponata with Pine Nuts? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

What is caponata?

A Sicilian eggplant stew with a sweet-and-sour sauce.

Is it a main or a side?

Either. Serve it beside fish or meat, or with eggs for a meal.

Can I make it on the stove?

Yes. Simmer it gently, covered, for 40 minutes.

Does it keep?

Yes, for up to a week, and it improves as it sits.

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Tags: Crockpot Meals, Sicilian, Dairy-Free