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Next level caponata

A sharing plate of next level caponata

Next level caponata

Name: Next level caponata
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 large or 3 small aubergines diced into small chunks; 200ml olive oil or as needed; 1 garlic clove (use this for the crostini first, if making); 4 celery sticks leaves picked and roughly shredded, sticks chopped into small pieces; 1 onion finely chopped; pinch of chilli flakes (optional); 1 tbsp golden caster sugar; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (ensure vegan, if needed); 400g can finely chopped tomatoes (or use passata-style); 1 tbsp capers roughly chopped; large handful of pitted green olives roughly chopped; small handful of basil leaves leaves picked and roughly torn, stalks tied together; 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts; 1 small baguette or ciabatta loaf, sliced into 1cm-thick rounds

Barney Desmazery

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Serves 4 - 6

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

plus standing and cooling

A star rating of 3.6 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

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Prep this Italian classic ahead of time and serve as a celebration of in-season summer ingredients. Serve it at room temperature as a starter or side

Dairy-free

Egg-free

Vegan

Vegetarian

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This dish proves that just a few humble ingredients can become something extraordinary with a little bit of love. Caponata is Sicily’s tangy answer to ratatouille – a glossy aubergine stew that balances sweet, sour and salty in every bite. I’ve tweaked the classic, keeping all the hallmarks, but refined the method to result in soft, caramelised veg and a velvety sauce. Serve it at room temperature as a starter, for drinks nibbles or as a side dish.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

2 large or 3 small aubergines

diced into small chunks
200ml olive oil

or as needed
1 garlic clove

(use this for the crostini first, if making)
4 celery sticks

leaves picked and roughly shredded, sticks chopped into small pieces
1 onion

finely chopped
pinch of chilli flakes

(optional)
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

(ensure vegan, if needed)
400g can finely chopped tomatoes

(or use passata-style)
1 tbsp capers

roughly chopped
large handful of pitted green olives

roughly chopped
small handful of basil leaves

leaves picked and roughly torn, stalks tied together
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

For the crostini (optional)

1 small baguette

or ciabatta loaf, sliced into 1cm-thick rounds

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: Per serving (6)

kcal308
fat26g
saturates4g
carbs11g
sugars10g
fibre5g
protein3g
salt0.46g

Method

step 1

Tip the aubergine chunks into a colander, season generously with salt, then toss to coat. Sit the colander in the sink or over a bowl, then put a saucer or small plate on top and weigh it down with a few cans (this will help extract excess moisture, so you’ll need less oil when frying). Leave to stand for at least 30 mins or up to 1 hr.
step 2

Pat the aubergine dry using kitchen paper, then heat 3-4 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the aubergine in two batches for a few minutes until golden and soft, adding more oil as needed so the pan is never dry. Tip the cooked aubergine into a bowl and set aside.
step 3

For the crostini, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray in a single layer, then drizzle generously with some of the olive oil. Bake for 12-15 mins, flipping over halfway through, until golden and crisp. While still warm, rub the garlic clove over the slices. Cool to room temperature. The crostini can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. Meanwhile, heat another drizzle of oil in the pan used for the aubergine and fry the chopped celery for about 6 mins, or until it starts to soften. Scatter in the onion and cook for 8-10 mins more until soft and golden. Finely chop the garlic clove you used for the crostini, and scatter this in along with the chilli flakes, if using. Cook for another minute, then add the sugar and tomato purée. Cook for 2 mins, then add the vinegar and bubble for 10-15 mins until thickened and reduced.
step 4

Stir in the canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer, then tip in the aubergines, capers, olives and the bunched basil stalks. Simmer for 10 mins more, stirring occasionally until thick, rich and glossy. Turn off the heat and stir through another 1 tbsp olive oil, then taste and adjust the seasoning – you want a balance of sweet and sour flavours, with a salty hit from the olives and capers. Cool to room temperature before removing and discarding the basil stalks. Stir through most of the torn basil. Will keep chilled for three days, or if serving the next day, leave in an airtight container at room temperature. (Caponata is best served at room temperature.)

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2025

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A star rating of 3.6 out of 5.3 ratings

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