Caponata Sauce Recipe
- 1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- salt as needed
- extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped anchovies
- 1 pinch dried basil
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped green olives
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 4 leaves lettuce (optional)
- 1 cup 1/2-inch thick French bread toasts (optional)
- 4 tomato wedges (optional)
- Place eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt; allow to sit and drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze eggplant to release more water.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; saute eggplant until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a bowl, reserving any oil in the skillet.
- Cook and stir onion, celery, and green bell pepper in the same skillet, adding more oil as needed, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Mix eggplant, tomatoes, anchovies, basil, and oregano into onion mixture; saute over high heat until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and cool mixture to room temperature, at least 15 minutes.
- Mix olives and capers into eggplant mixture and dress with red wine vinegar and more olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add pine nuts.
- Line a plate with lettuce leaves. Spoon eggplant mixture onto toasts and arrange on lettuce. Garnish with tomato wedges.
