Root Vegetable Caponata Recipes

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.

NORTHERN ITALIAN CAPONATA WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat 2 large nonstick pans over high heat. Divide the olive oil between the 2 pans, when the oil is hot add the vegetables all together and season with gray salt and pepper, to taste, and chili flakes. Saute all of the vegetables together for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the pine nuts and orange zest and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until all of the vegetables are soft and the flavors are well infused.
• Meanwhile in a small saute pan combine the vinegar with the sugar and the raisins, bring to a boil and reduce until slightly syrupy. When the vegetables are cooked and still hot combine with the vinegar syrup and the basil, taste for salt and pepper and serve hot as a side dish.

CAPONATA-DELICIOUS ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spread the tomato paste onto a 3 1/2-quart baking dish to cover the bottom. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat. Pour the vegetables over the tomato paste in an even layer. Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid/foil and bake until the edges of the vegetables are golden, about 40 minutes.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA (SICILIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

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.

ROOT VEGETABLE CAPONATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Heat large sauté pan or wide round roasting pan over medium heat. Add bacon to the hot pan and cook until it begins to crisp and brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the onion and garlic and sweat for 3 minutes. Add the pepper and cook one minute. Add the water and deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom as the water sizzles.
• Once the water has evaporated, add the butter and olive oil, and then the celery root, squash and parsnips. Stir to coat the ingredients with the butter and oil. Place in oven and let roast until just tender, about 30-40 minutes, stirring twice.
• Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper. Toss with the sugar, vinegar, pistachios and raisins and serve.