Eggplant Caponata Pasta With Ricotta and Basil Recipe (2024)

Microwave cut eggplant before frying. Uses less oil.

Green olives bring out the true taste of caponata, so I will dice up a few and toss them in.

This was lovely. I went crazy and tossed the whole thing with ricotta throughout then served with a plop of burrata on top. My mother was so eager for her burrata plop she carried it, bare handed from the kitchen to her waiting plate. My father however did not eat his plop as he “does not know what burrata is”. And yes, the correct term for a small portion of a large ball of burrata is a plop.

Took Lori’s suggestion; added sliced green olives with the caper mix. Increased eggplant, and next time will increase the raisins - enjoyed the sweetness that they add to the briny, tangy sauce. Added parsley, mint and chives to the basil. This dish is for those who enjoy strong flavors. I am a fan! Great way to use up end of season farmers market eggplants. The ricotta adds the right touch of mellow. Drizzled with olive oil as suggested. Yum!

I made the following modifications to fit my style of cooking: Boil water with sugar and raisins in microwave for 90 sec.Cut the eggplant per recipe, toss with ¼ c. oil, or whatever you’re comfortable with, and spread on parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in 400 preheated oven while doing balance of prep. Boil pasta water while sautéing shallots (I added additional to taste), capers , dried peppers, etc including green olives. Add eggplant when browned, 30-40 minDrain ziti, add all together

I hate pasta recipes calling for 12 ounces when packages are 16 oz.. a pain to keep small portions of uncooked pasta around but then have to adjust sauce ingredients to work for the whole package. If you’re pasta phobic give the recipe for 8 oz. then at least one can just double for a package.

Comment synthesis: It's caponata-INSPIRED; therefore, it doesn't share the exact ingredients. SO WHAT? Add green olives - excellent. Add anchovies with the shallots - delicious. Up raisin quantity to half cup - better and not too sweet. Up the chili flakes to 1/2 tsp. Yes, the recipe is confusingly written. You need three pots/pans plus a big bowl: pasta pot, small saucepan to boil raisins, and big skillet for eggplant. Microwave the eggplant first & you will not need as much oil to cook it.

Made this last night. No capers, but used green olives as substitute as some commenters had suggested. I sliced the eggplant into thick rounds and broiled until brown on both sides. Removed from broiler and cut into cubes then followed the recipe as written (much less oil needed and easier prep and clean up). It was delicious - delicate and complex. Will make again.

So delicious! If I make this again, I’ll double the eggplant and overall sauce to make this a bit more saucy and hearty beyond the pasta.

So easy: can of Cento eggplant caponata (on Amazon), can of tuna in olive oil, preferably Genova, lots of fresh parsley. Mix with pasta and bit of pasta water. Delicious!

Great! Made even better via cutting the fat by roasting the lightly salted eggplant cubes tossed in a bit of oil @ 425 for 30-35 min—CREAMY w/ some skin crisps. Also melted 2 anchovies into the softening shallots and subbed quartered Castlevetrono olives for capers. Wow.

So, this recipe was clearly written by someone who loves doing dishes. As someone who does not like doing dishes, this is nevertheless delicious and totally worth the time I will spent at the sink tonight.

The description says it is inspired by the Italian dish that includes tomatoes, caramelizes onions, and anchovies! This dish is vegetarian so no anchovies and apparently no onions or tomatoes either in this version! Other commenters have added olives for the briny/salty anchovies provide!

Yes, the way it is written is confusing. However, I reread it and it says put the raisins, sugar, and 1 c. water in a small saucepan—so they are prepped separately.

Pretty good the night I cooked it; but much better as leftovers. I used ricotta the night we made and ate it as a hot dinner, but I actually prefer it as a cold pasta salad, without any cheese. The ricotta added a gloppiness that the eggplant already gave (it's a welcome glop from the eggplant since it creates a sort-of sauce, but the ricotta was too much glop). BTW, salt the eggplant in a colander for 30 min, and squeeze out the liquid before frying! You'll get creamier, silkier eggplant.

I roasted the eggplant in the oven while prepping the rest, more hands off and less messy. Added a pair of little anchovies with the shallots and onions. The fresh basil and creamy ricotta made this a special weeknight dinner.

Added the green olives and extra raisins - so flavorful and delicious! Made the eggplant on the stove per recipe, but I think would have been less intensive if roasted eggplant in oven. Also, can easily make sauce ahead!

We have made this several times and we love it. However, the estimate of 1/2 hour is far off in our experience. We had two of us working and it still took a full hour. We have stir-fried the eggplant but it does use a great deal of oil and takes longer than 7 or 8 minutes. I'm going to try the oven approach next time. Once the eggplant is cooked and the pasta water is boiled, this recipe goes quickly. Be careful with the salt; you can always add more but you can't remove it once in.

Made as written using buratta - excellent! Meant to add some chopped Castelveltrano olives but will do so for leftovers. I think roasting the diced eggplant would work fine, too.

A delicious recipe! I followed a few of the suggestions and found them very helpful: broiled the eggplant; a tablespoon of tomato paste to the shallot mixture; added green olives to the mix. For 4-6 servings, I would double the amounts, except for the pasta – this is a flavorful sauce, and you don't want to be stingy with it. One other note: small (or baby) eggplants were impossible to find here in LA. I ended up finding them at a Japanese market. Next time, I'll use full-size ones.

When eggplants are in season, I make this at least once a week. Frequently I stir in an unhealthy quantity of homemade tapenade and a lot of artichoke hearts.

This recipe is so so so so good! We usually add tomatoes just because we have them on hand during the summer harvest, and up the chili flakes. We always salt our eggplant before cooking just as good practice. This is a recipe that we come back to over and over.

Plumping the raisins is a nice touch. But if you're in a hurry or just want less work, plenty of caponata recipes call for tossing the raisins straight from box or bag into the cooking vegetables. It comes out fine and will save several steps and a pan.

Made exactly as written. My family didnt care for it. Really disappointed.

Fantastic pasta. Cooked it without the raisins -- makes it a bit easier/fasterUsed around 3 pounds of eggplants for 12 oz pasta -- results in approx 1:1 ratio, loved that

Ate this on repeat all summer. Absolutely delicious.

Delicious just like it is and even better the next day.

Absolutely delicious, especially using fresh eggplant mixture. This recipe is large as if served as a main dish for 4+ people so I recommend cutting it in half if using it as a side dish. Either way this dish is a keeper!

Used the suggestions to make this fantastic dish. Roasted the eggplant in the oven with a little oil and added fresh tomatoes for the last 15 minutes. Added a can of anchovies into the frying pan at the end of cooking the garlic and shallots. Also added green olives to the eggplant mixture. When returning the pan with cooked pasta to mix everything together, stirred in some ricotta for creaminess. Served with bit of buratta on the side. Yes, lots of dishes, but more importantly, a lot of flavor!

Used craisins, red onion, feta and a bit of miso paste as substitutes for what wasn’t on hand. Yum