Caponata is a flavorful eggplant dish from Sicily that's best made the day before you plan to serve it.

Caponata Recipe: How to Make Italian Caponata

Caponata is a Sicilian dish of fried eggplant combined with other vegetables in an *agrodolce*, or sweet and sour sauce. It is often served at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish, sometimes with crostini.
Caponata and [ratatouille](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-an-easy-ratatouille) are both French eggplant salads from the Mediterranean that taste better the next day and are served with crusty bread. There are five key differences between these two eggplant recipes:

1. __Sauce__: Sicilian caponata is cooked in an *agrodolce* (sweet and sour sauce). Caponata recipes typically include vinegar and sugar or honey, and the finished product should taste somewhat tart. French ratatouille is not meant to taste sour; the dish’s only acidity comes from tomatoes.
2. __Cooking method__: To make caponata, the eggplant is deep-fried in oil. There are many methods for making ratatouille, but most call for sautéing, baking, or stewing the eggplant—not deep-frying it.
3. __Vegetables__: Caponata traditionally includes celery, which is not typical of ratatouille, and ratatouille often features zucchini and red bell peppers, which are not generally used in caponata. 
4. __Capers and green olives__: Caponata typically includes capers and green olives, which add even more sour flavor. Ratatouille is not made with capers or olives; instead, it gets a jolt of flavor from garlic cloves, which are not often found in Italian caponata.
5. __Herbs__: Caponata is sometimes garnished with parsley or mint. Ratatouille usually incorporates several herbs, such as fresh basil, bay leaf, and thyme.
Caponata is a flavorful eggplant dish from Sicily that's best made the day before you plan to serve it.

Caponata is a Sicilian dish of fried eggplant combined with other vegetables in an agrodolce, or sweet and sour sauce. It is often served at room temperature as an appetizer or side dish, sometimes with crostini.

What Is Caponata?

Caponata and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-an-easy-ratatouille' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-an-easy-ratatouille","linkCopy":"ratatouille","category":null}'>ratatouille</a> are both French eggplant salads from the Mediterranean that taste better the next day and are served with crusty bread. There are five key differences between these two eggplant recipes:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Sauce: Sicilian caponata is cooked in an agrodolce (sweet and sour sauce). Caponata recipes typically include vinegar and sugar or honey, and the finished product should taste somewhat tart. French ratatouille is not meant to taste sour; the dish’s only acidity comes from tomatoes. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Cooking method: To make caponata, the eggplant is deep-fried in oil. There are many methods for making ratatouille, but most call for sautéing, baking, or stewing the eggplant—not deep-frying it. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Vegetables: Caponata traditionally includes celery, which is not typical of ratatouille, and ratatouille often features zucchini and red bell peppers, which are not generally used in caponata. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Capers and green olives: Caponata typically includes capers and green olives, which add even more sour flavor. Ratatouille is not made with capers or olives; instead, it gets a jolt of flavor from garlic cloves, which are not often found in Italian caponata. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Herbs: Caponata is sometimes garnished with parsley or mint. Ratatouille usually incorporates several herbs, such as fresh basil, bay leaf, and thyme. </li></ol>

Caponata vs. Ratatouille: What’s the Difference?

Simple Italian Caponata Recipe

Caponata is a flavorful eggplant dish from Sicily that&#39;s best made the day before you plan to serve it.

Caponata is a flavorful eggplant dish from Sicily that's best made the day before you plan to serve it.
