Name: Caponata Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 medium globe eggplant (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), skin on, chopped into 1-inch cubes; 1 medium red onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided; 1 tablespoon honey or sugar; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes; 4 to 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped; 1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed; 12 ounces dry pasta; 1/2 cup reserved pasta water; 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Caponata Pasta

Caponata, the tart, silky Sicilian appetizer, also makes a luxurious (and easy) pasta sauce. In this recipe, the eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion are slowly roasted together, creating a jammy, flavorful sauce for your choice of pasta.

1 hr 25 min total 15 min prep 1 hr 10 min cook 4 826 cal

Instructions

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1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2 Add the eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes to a half-sheet pan. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, honey, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and carefully mix until everything is coated. Spread evenly on the pan (some overlap is OK).
3 Roast the vegetables until mostly tender, 50 minutes. While they’re baking, in the same small bowl as before, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, green olives, and capers. Set aside.
4 Remove the pan from the oven and pour the garlic, green olives, and capers onto the vegetables. Use a spatula to mix everything and spread it back out on the pan. Put it back in the oven to bake until the vegetables are brown on the edges and the garlic is softened, another 15 to 20 minutes.
5 In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente according to the instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain (but do not rinse). Add the cooked pasta back to the pot.
6 Once the vegetables are done baking, scrape everything from the sheet pan into the pasta pot. Add the reserved pasta water, the remaining 2 tablespoons of white vinegar (optional, for a tarter flavor), and the fresh basil. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a splash of water before reheating gently. Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!