Capponata is a Sicilian vegetable mixture made with fried eggplant and other vegetables simmered in a tomato and celery sauce and seasoned with vinegar and sugar. The flavor is rich from the frying and complex from the assortment of vegetables, and it has a slightly sweet and tangy finish. In Sicily, caponata is eaten at room temperature as an antipasto, as a topping for crostini, or as a side dish. One day I decided to season some roasted vegetables like caponata. Instead of the wine vinegar that would be used in Sicily, I used some naturally sweet balsamic vinegar, so I didn’t need to add sugar. The result was this flavorful spread, not quite as complex in flavor as caponata, but satisfying nonetheless—and much easier to prepare. Exact quantities are not of great importance here, but do make sure that the vegetables are not crowded together, so that they brown nicely and take on a rich caramelized flavor. Serve with crostini or as a side dish.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- About 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Oil a 17- ×-12- ×-1-inch baking sheet. Scatter the vegetables and garlic in the pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. Toss the vegetables and spread them out evenly.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Stir the vegetables and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until browned and tender. (You could serve the vegetables at this point as a side dish.) Let cool slightly.
- Scrape the vegetables into a food processor and coarsely chop. Blend in the vinegar and season to taste with salt.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving
