What the dish is and where it came from
Caponata is a Sicilian dish of chopped, fried eggplant and other vegetables seasoned with olive oil, tomato sauce, celery, olives, and capers in an agrodolce (sweet and sour) sauce.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
It is made by chopping and frying eggplant and other vegetables, then seasoning them with olive oil, tomato sauce, celery, olives, and capers in an agrodolce sauce.
What it gets right
It gets right a balance of savory, briny, and sweet-sour flavors through olives, capers, and agrodolce. Its base of fried eggplant and vegetables makes it substantial yet vegetable-forward.
What it does not
It does not always fit a strict vegetable-stew definition: some versions include octopus, lobster, swordfish, or dried tuna roe.
What it changed
Variants add carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, pine nuts, and raisins.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people who enjoy cooked vegetable dishes with bold, contrasting flavors. It is not exclusively for vegetarians due to seafood variants.
Is it worth your time
It is worth your time if you like agrodolce-seasoned vegetable dishes with Mediterranean ingredients.
