Roasted Eggplant Caponata Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Toss the eggplant, bell peppers and shallots with the olive oil, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread the vegetables on the lined baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and stir in the parsley, capers, raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.
• Serve the caponata with baguette slices.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Place the whole eggplant on the pan, prick with a fork in several places, and rub with olive oil. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool. Halve the eggplant, peel, and discard the skin. Place the eggplant, peppers, and olives in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour into a mixing bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, and add to the eggplant mixture. Add the parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice, capers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature with toasted pita triangles.

Steps:

• Put a wide cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil to coat surface of pan. When oil is wavy, test by adding a cube of eggplant. It should begin to sizzle and brown immediately. Fill the pan with a single layer of eggplant cubes. Turn eggplant with a spatula or tongs and brown nicely on all sides. Lower heat as necessary to maintain an even temperature; if the pan is too hot, the eggplant will burn.
• Remove cooked eggplant to a plate and continue to fry remaining eggplant in batches, adding more oil as necessary. Season finished eggplant with salt and pepper. (Alternatively, roast the eggplant on a baking sheet at 400 degrees, lightly drizzled with oil, until cooked and nicely browned, about 20 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in blanched celery, tomato paste, capers and olives. Add crushed red pepper, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar and wine. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Gently fold in cooked eggplant and simmer 2 or 3 minutes more. Taste cooking juices and adjust salt if necessary. Let mellow for 1 hour at room temperature (or make it a day in advance for fuller flavor). Sprinkle with parsley to serve. The caponata will keep for a week, refrigerated.