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–+ servings

Caponata Pasta Salad

Caponata is one of my favorite side dishes, and I knew it would be perfect to chill and turn into a pasta salad. With tangy, sharp flavors and deeply satisfying salty-sweet notes, it packs a good amount of excitement into each bite. Here you can swap either tinned fish or canned beans for the protein, making this a supremely filling meal.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant, 1 pound
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 5 stalks of celery, 5 ounces
  • 1 yellow onion, 12 ounces
  • 2 small tomatoes, 8 ounces
  • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 cup Castelvetrano olives
  • 1 tablespoon non-pareil capers
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, divided
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, divided
  • 8 ounces pasta of choice, I like orecchiette or rigatoni
Optional proteins
  • 1 15-ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • Or 1 4-ounce tin of mackerel, packed in oil

Instructions 

  1. Dice the eggplant into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle the pieces evenly with a teaspoon of salt. Mix so the eggplant is coated then add it to a colander and let sit to release moisture.
  2. Thinly slice the celery, dice the onion, dice the tomatoes, slice the peppers. Finely chop the olives and capers. Set all of this aside.
  3. Set a large pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of pine nuts. Toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan.
  4. Gently pat off any moisture released from the eggplant. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan. In two batches, cook the eggplant for 3-4 minutes on each side or until deep brown and collapsed. Transfer the eggplant to bowl and set aside.
  5. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil into the pan, then add the celery, onion, tomatoes, peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until very softened.
  6. Add the olives, capers, tomato paste, raisins. Toast for a few minutes until the tomato paste is no longer raw. Add the honey and red wine vinegar and cook another 3-4 minutes or until the vinegar sharpness has evaporated away. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  7. Add the eggplant back in. Reduce the heat to low and add 1 cup of water. Let this reduce as the mixture softens and combines into a softened, stewy texture.
  8. Remove this caponata from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of parsley leaves and 1/2 cup of basil leaves. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  9. While the caponata is cooling, set a large pot of water to boil. Season well with salt. Boil your pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
  10. When the pasta is finished, drain immediately. "Shock" the pasta by running it under cool water from the sink to immediately cool it. Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.
  11. Add the caponata to the pasta bowl. Add the toasted pine nuts. Add the remaining 1/2 cup each of parsley and basil. Add in either the beans or mackerel (whichever you are using). Stir this all together into a big, glossy pasta salad.
  12. Taste and season with more salt, pepper or vinegar as you prefer and serve immediately.
Serving: 6ouncesCalories: 504kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 9gFat: 26g