Eggplants are not only delicious, but they are also versatile. They are used in a wide range of dishes including stews. 

Caponata is a classic Italian stew that is made with eggplants and features a wide variety of other vegetables 

This tasty vegetable stew is a summertime staple, and its variations can be found all over Italy.

The ingredients may vary as well, with some variations containing additional ingredients such as seafood. Each variation of this dish is unique, and almost like its own dish 

Caponatina is one of the popular variations of caponata from Sicily.

In this post, we are going to take a look at caponata and highlight what makes caponatina different from other recipes. 

What is caponata?

Caponata is a dish made from eggplants  

The eggplants are chopped, salted and cooked together with a wide variety of other vegetables including bell pepper, tomatoes, celery, olives. and capers.

Traditionally, the vegetables are fried separately and then combined and cooked together in a sweet and sour sauce.

The sweet and sour sauce used is known as agrodolce. Vinegar could be added to the dish as well.

The dish may be seasoned with Garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, peppers and sweetened with sugar or honey.

cheese can be used to enhance the flavor of the dish. 

Caponata can either be served as an appetizer or as a main course.

It can be eaten on its own. This stew can also be served over rice, pasta, gnocchi or meat,

It can be used as topping for bread such as bruschetta. 

This stew can be served either warm or chilled, and it tastes even better when the soup is allowed to rest, and the flavors marinate 

Continue reading to learn more about this vegetable stew and its variants 

Varieties of caponata  

This eggplant stew is popular all over Italy,

There are so many ways this dish can be prepared, and there are many variations of this dish.

Some recipes feature seafoods such as lobster, anchovies and sardines.

Pine nuts, raisins and almonds may be used in some versions of caponata.

In some variants of this dish, the vegetables are not fried before cooked in the sweet and sour sauce

The eggplant can also be stewed in a tomato sauce made from fresh or canned tomatoes.

The dish may also be flavored with red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.

Caponatina is a variant or caponata that often comes packaged in small cans.

The eggplants, tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil and the vegetables are chopped into very small bits

 It may also contain potatoes, which are chopped into bite sized pieces as well

Difference between caponatina and caponata

In caponata, the eggplants and other vegetables are chopped and cooked in a sweet and sour sauce, however unlike caponata, Caponatina does not make use of the sweet and sour sauce.

The vegetables are also diced really small in caponatina.

Caponatina is very popular in Sicily, and it is typically made with locally sourced Sicilian ingredients.