Caponata With Pine Nuts And Raisins Recipes

SICILIAN CAPONATA RECIPE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and put in a colander over a bowl for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with water and transfer the eggplant to a large clean towel and pat dry with paper towel.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil, toss the potatoes and cook them until golden brown stirring occasionally.
• Once the potatoes are ready, transfer them to a medium bowl lined with layers of paper towel and set aside. Discard the oil and clean the pan.
• In the same skillet add another 5 tablespoons of olive oil and start frying the bell peppers until soft. Transfer to the bowl with the potatoes and set aside. Discard the oil and clean the pan.
• In the same skillet add another 5 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the eggplant. Watch it while it cooks, as it may need more oil. When it's soft, transfer the cooked eggplant to the bowl with the other vegetables and set aside. Discard the oil and clean the pan.
• Return skillet to heat, add olive oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring continuously to allow caramelization for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium, add tomato sauce and continue cooking for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Stir in olives, vinegar, capers, sugar and all the fried vegetables and mix together. Cook slowly for a couple of minutes while mixing gently.
• Turn off the heat, add the chopped basil and mix and let it cool at room temperature.
• Serve with a piece of toasted bread of your choice.

EASY CAPONATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add celery and cook uncovered until softened, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, red bell peppers, and zucchini and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add olives, raisins, pine nuts, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and cook until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat; stir in chopped basil. Cool and serve at room temperature.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the raisins, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook about 2 minutes, then cover and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. Stir in half the eggplant to coat evenly in the oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Eggplant should brown and tenderize but still maintain its shape.) Heat another 1/4 cup oil, then add remaining eggplant; season and repeat.
• While the eggplant cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. (You might not use all the pasta water.)
• Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shallot, pine nuts, capers, garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant, along with the sliced basil and vinegar.
• Strain the soaked raisins, discarding the soaking liquid, then add the raisins to the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste quite aggressively salty and tangy, but it will mellow when tossed with pasta and ricotta. (Eggplant mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Add eggplant mixture, pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pot. Toss to coat over medium heat until eggplant is warmed, adding extra pasta water if necessary. Divide among shallow bowls, top with ricotta and additional torn basil and serve immediately. Pass with additional olive oil for drizzling, if desired.

CAPONATA WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Coat 2 cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons olive oil each, spread with eggplant and roast about 10-12 minutes. Remove.
• Saute garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil over moderate heat until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Stir together vinegar and sugar. Add to the onion-tomato mixture along with the eggplant and raisins. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. (May be made to this point up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
• When ready to serve, let come to room temperature and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve with pita bread crisps.

GRILLED CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat your grill to high. Brush the eggplant, onion slices and tomatoes with olive oil and season each type of vegetable with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Grill the eggplant for 6 to 8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Grill the tomatoes for 2 minutes per side until charred and slightly soft. Remove to a cutting board and cut into quarters.
• Remove the vegetables from the grill to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and add the olives, capers, raisins and pine nuts.
• Mix together the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar and honey in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the parsley and stir gently to combine. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.

CAPONATA

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a large heavybased saucepan or casserole, place over a medium heat and add the aubergines. Cook for a good 15-20 mins until they are soft. Scoop the aubergines out of the pan - you should be left with some olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 mins until they are soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly, so they break down and turn to a soft mush, then add the aubergines back to the pan. Now put in the capers, raisins, celery and vinegar, season well and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 40 mins, until all the vegetables are soft. Stir gently so it doesn't break up too much; the stew should smell sweet and sour.
• When the caponata is cooked, leave to cool slightly while you make the bruschetta. Heat a griddle pan, drizzle the bread with olive oil and griddle until toasted and lightly charred on both sides, then rub with a garlic clove and season. Serve the warm caponata scattered with the basil leaves and pine nuts, with bruschetta on the side.