Sicilian eggplant caponata is one of the best ways to utilize eggplant. Caponata is a salty, sweet and sour appetizer, bursting with flavor. It’s perfect by itself, on top of toasted bread or crackers, or used as a topping for sandwiches.

Serves 6

sipandfeast.com

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds eggplant
1 cup celery
1 cup red onion
1 cup pitted green olives
¼ cup pignoli nuts
¼ cup parsley
⅛ cup capers
¼ cup raisins
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F and begin by cutting 2 pounds of eggplant into approximately 1″ cubes.

Place all the cut eggplant into a large glass bowl and toss with a ½ cup of olive oil, a tsp of kosher salt and a ½ tsp of black pepper. Use enough oil to coat all the pieces.

On a large baking sheet (line it with parchment paper to avoid sticking) spread out the eggplant. Keep the pieces from touching and if necessary use 2 sheet pans. Place the eggplant on the middle oven rack and roast for 25-30 minutes.

While the eggplant is roasting begin cutting 1 cup of celery into smallish pieces like shown.

Cut 1 cup of onion into half-moon strips. You can cut the onion and celery any way you want! Some people like a chunkier caponata while others prefer a smoother one.

Toast a ¼ cup of pignoli (pine) nuts in a separate pan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or so. Be careful, they burn easily. When finished toasting, remove the nuts and set them aside.

In a large pan saute the onion and celery for a few minutes in a ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Again this is a preference/textural thing. If you like crunchy vegetables in your caponata only saute them for a minute or so.

Add in one 6-ounce can of tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes longer, spreading the paste all around the pan.

After 25-30 minutes the eggplant will be nicely roasted as shown. Use a fork and make sure they are soft on the inside and fully cooked. If not, another 5 minutes in the oven is fine.

To the pan add 1 cup of pitted good quality green olives, an ⅛ cup of rinsed capers, and a ¼ cup of raisins. Also, add 2 Tbsp of sugar and a ¼ cup of red wine vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.

Add in the eggplant and pine nuts and cook for 3 more minutes to ensure the caponata is well mixed. Be careful while mixing in the eggplant to avoid mashing it too much. A gentle stir with a wooden spoon is all that’s required.

Finally, add a ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley, give it one more stir, and a taste test. Adjust salt, pepper, and sugar if necessary. If satisfied, let it cool, then place it in a container and refrigerate.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Zucchini – Add some zucchini to this caponata for a nice twist. Pan roast 2 cups of the same size pieces as the eggplant for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Peppers – Use 2 large bell peppers, cut up into bite-size chunks for added texture and flavor.

Carrots – Roast 1 cup of carrots with the eggplant for added flavor or just sear them in the pan with the onions and celery to introduce a crunchy texture.

Anchovies – It wouldn’t be Sicilian cooking without talking about this ingredient. Saute 3-4 chopped anchovies until they melt with the celery and onion.

Herbs – Mint and basil are excellent additions!

For Spelt Spaghetti With Olives and Anchovies, the amount of pesto-like sauce you’re making here is so scant that you really do need a stick blender.

Serves 2

nigella.com

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces spelt spaghetti or other spaghetti
salt for pasta water (to taste)
10 pitted green olives
10 anchovy fillets from a can or jar (drained)
1 clove garlic (peeled and roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons pinenuts
leaves from 1 small (approx. 1oz) bunch Italian parsley
zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon
¼ cup olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Put a pan of water on to boil for the pasta. When the pan comes to the boil, salt the water generously, or to taste, and add the pasta; my spelt spaghetti needs 8-9 minutes, so I set the timer for 7 and start testing for doneness then.

To make the sauce, put the olives, anchovies, garlic, pinenuts, parsley, lemon zest and juice and olive oil in a small bowl and blitz with a stick blender (or in your mini processor bowl). Don’t worry about the odd unmashed pinenut (or olive); indeed, they are rather appealing.

Just before draining the pasta, remove a cupful of starchy cooking water and immediately add 2 tablespoons of it to the bowl of sauce, then give another brief blitz to combine those last ingredients.

Tip the drained pasta back into its pan, then pour and scrape the sauce on top and toss to mix, adding more of the cooking liquid if you feel you need the sauce to be looser.

Season to taste — you may want pepper or more lemon juice, but I can’t see salt being necessary — then toss again and turn out onto a warm serving dish or divide between 2 plates or bowls.

There are as many variations of empanadas as there are cooks in Argentina. This version was developed by BA Test Kitchen Manager Gaby Melian, who is from Buenos Aires and was taught as a little girl by family members how to make them. After years of perfecting her method, she prefers the empanadas baked, not fried, and the addition of green olives and raisins in the filling is essential.

Makes about 36

bonappetit.com

INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 lb. ground beef (20% fat)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 small red bell peppers, seeded, chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1½ cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
2 tsp. sugar
½ cup raisins
3 packages (12 each) Puff Pastry Dough for Turnovers/Empanadas (preferably Goya)
½ cup pitted green olives (Picholine or Spanish), rinsed well, cut in half lengthwise

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over high. Cook beef, breaking up with a spoon, until browned but not completely cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat in pan as possible.

Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, bell peppers, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, stirring, until tender but not browned, 6–8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to pot. Stir in sugar, 4 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 15–20 minutes; taste and season with salt and black pepper, if needed. Stir in raisins. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and chill at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°. Let dough sit at room temperature 15 minutes to temper. Remove 6 rounds from package, keeping plastic divider underneath, and arrange on a work surface. Place 2 Tbsp. filling in the center of each round. Top with 2 olive halves. Brush water around half of outer edge of each round. Using plastic divider to help you, fold round over filling and pinch edges to seal. Using a fork, crimp edges. Remove plastic and transfer empanada to a parchment-lined sheet tray, spacing 1″ apart. Repeat with remaining rounds (you’ll get about 12 empanadas on each tray).

Bake empanadas, rotating tray halfway through, until golden brown and slightly darker around the edges, 25–35 minutes.

Do Ahead: Filling can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Unbaked empanadas can be made 3 months ahead; freeze on sheet tray, then transfer to freezer bags and keep frozen.