caponata

noun

ca·​po·​na·​ta ˌkä-pə-ˈnä-tə 

: a relish of chopped eggplant and assorted vegetables

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The Rack of Lamb is cooked by the chef to be succulent with caponata and sweet potatoes. —Allyson Portee, Forbes, 3 May 2023

Caponata Every kitchen needs a jar of homemade caponata to put on toasted bread, mix into pasta, or enjoy as-is. —Brittany Natale, Redbook, 5 Apr. 2023

Or how about homemade caponata? —Brittany Natale, Redbook, 5 Apr. 2023

Every plate that hits the table—be it a seasonal vegetable caponata, transcendent plate of chewy handmade trofie, or sticky agrodolce chicken—positively sings, dancing on the razor’s edge between rusticity and precision that makes good Southern Italian cooking so thrilling. —The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2022

This autumnal take on caponata features fennel, figs and citrus. —Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2022

Look for the signature tavern-style Nonna Cappellano tomato pie ($22) with eggplant caponata, vegan mozzarella and spiced breadcrumbs; a sausage slice ($3.75) with classic mozzarella and red sauce; and sweet potato tiramisu ($6). —Louisa Chu, chicagotribune.com, 24 Nov. 2021

At a long table in the dimly lit garden of Can Domingo, a restaurant in the southern hills, two dozen people picked over the remains of a generous dinner: ravioli, veal Milanese, caponata. —Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2022

An entree of gilt-head fish is lifted by the classic Sicilian caponata sauce, famed for its sweet and sour balance, before an apricot sorbet and meringues wrap up the five courses by once again celebrating the finest Italian ingredients. —Chris Dwyer, CNN, 15 Nov. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Italian dialect (Sicily) capunata, sailor's dish of biscuit steeped in oil and vinegar, chopped vegetables served similarly, from Catalan caponada dry bread soaked in oil and vinegar, perhaps from capó capon

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above