Sicilian Caponata with Whipped Ricotta

In Sicily, ricotta is at the heart of so much cooking. Whipped like this…light, creamy, and kissed with lemon, it makes the perfect base for caponata’s glossy sweet-sour flavours. It’s a dish that’s generous, colourful, and made for sharing. Exactly the spirit of Sicily that I can’t wait to bring to life on my next tour.

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Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian, sicilian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Nellie Kerrison | Relish Mama

Cost: 30

Equipment

1 Baking dish (for roasting cherry tomatoes)
1 Large frying pan or sauté pan (to fry eggplant and cook caponata)
Paper towel
Wooden spoon or spatula
Knife
Chopping board (for prep)
1 Small frying pan (for toasting pine nuts)
1 food processor or blender (for whipped ricotta)
Serving platter

Ingredients

For the whipped ricotta

400 g fresh ricotta drained if wet
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon zest of 1 lemon and juice of half a lemon
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt & black pepper

For the caponata

1 eggplant medium size, cut into 2 cm cubes
1 red capsicum diced
1 yellow capsicum diced
2 celery sticks diced
1 red onion finely sliced
3 garlic cloves minced or grated
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp caster sugar or honey
2 tbsp capers rinsed
100 g green olives pitted and roughly chopped
Sea salt & black pepper
1 punnet cherry tomatoes on the vine

To finish

2 tbsp pine nuts toasted
Fresh basil or parsley leaves (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Crusty bread or focaccia, for serving.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200oC.
Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish & drizzle with a tablespoon of the oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Roast in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes until soft and starting to blister.
Set aside. Oven can be turned off.
Preheat a large frying pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the eggplant cubes in the remaining oil, in batches, until golden. Drain on paper towel.
In the same pan, add the sliced onion, celery and capsicum, and cook gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add a little more oil, if needed. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, and sugar. Let it bubble briefly. Add olives, capers, and the return the fried eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed, until glossy and jammy.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
To make the whipped ricotta:
Place ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth and airy. (If your ricotta is very firm, add a splash of milk or cream.)
Spread the whipped ricotta onto a serving plate. Spoon over the caponata. Scatter with pine nuts, fresh herbs, and a final drizzle of olive oil.
This is scoopable food at its best. Serve with crusty bread or focaccia and let everyone dive in.

Notes

This is scoopable food at its best. Serve with crusty bread or focaccia and let everyone dive in.

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