Italians Did Their Big One With This Dish, And It's Perfect On Pasta Or As A Side

When it comes to Italian food, there are many popular dishes you could easily deem as "the best," such as pizza, homemade meatballs, fettuccine Alfredo, and pasta bolognese. On the other hand, among the long list of underrated Italian comfort foods you should try at least once, such as arancini or carbonara, caponata is another age-old dish that deserves a spot on everyone's favorites list.

Traditionally served as a relish or dip, caponata is primarily composed of cooked mixed vegetables (most prominently eggplant), olives, tomatoes, and capers. Better yet, this colorful combination of foods is enveloped in a signature sweet and sour sauce made of honey, red wine vinegar, and white wine. While the history of caponata isn't necessarily ironclad, this dish most likely originated in Sicily hundreds of years ago. Interestingly, caponata was originally a dish used to preserve fish in the 1800s yet many commoners began to swap out the fish for eggplant or aubergines as a more affordable way to enjoy this recipe's one-of-a-kind taste.

Sure enough, the complex flavors of roasted eggplant, cooked diced tomatoes, briny olives, and various herbs are sure to excite your taste buds in more ways than one. Fortunately, you can prepare caponata at home with your own specialized assortment of vegetables and extra ingredients. Better yet, next to using a wide range of flavorful add-ins, you can enjoy this signature Italian dish as a tasty appetizer or perfect pasta topping.

To prepare a fresh batch of caponata, cook down some chopped onions and celery and add in some roasted eggplant, diced tomatoes, and your own selection of herbs, briny extras, and your favorite oil and vinegar. You can also use a variety of add-ins like dried raisins or pine nuts for more sweetness and crunch. Nevertheless, depending on how you plan on serving this flavorful dish, you may want to make a few adjustments.

For starters, since bruschetta proves to be the classic Italian appetizer that's even better roasted, crostini topped with caponata is another tasty pre-meal snack you're sure to love. Though, if you plan on serving this veggie-loaded dish as a spoonable side, make sure to dice your vegetables extra small for easy serving. Enjoy this flavorful dish hot, at room temperature, or directly from your fridge after plenty of marination time. You can also add some creaminess to your crostini by first topping each piece of bread with creamy ricotta or goat cheese. 

Conversely, if you'd rather serve your next batch of caponata as a savory pasta topping, add in extra tomatoes during preparation for a saucier base. You can also incorporate some additional olive oil or vinegar like red wine or balsamic for a more distinct bite. When you're ready to eat, simply prepare your pasta of choice, spoon some caponata directly on top, and add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for an extra special finishing touch.