Cauliflower Caponata
This deeply flavorful caponata recipe cleverly trades out traditional eggplant for roasted cauliflower and uses an oven in place of deep-frying. The idea comes from Easy Wins by Anna Jones and has become an absolute favorite.
I tend to think of caponata as a Sicilian medley of the sun-soaked flavors of summer cooked down into a deeply flavorful tangle of ingredients. Rich bursts of eggplant, pepper, tomatoes, celery, zucchini and the like are mixed with an agrodolce (sweet-sour) sauce and enjoyed as an accompaniment or part of an antipasto platter. It’s a classic for a reason. That said, the version I’ve been making the most this year comes from Easy Wins by Anna Jones. Anna’s version is ideal in colder months as it cleverly trades cauliflower for the eggplant and uses the oven in place of frying and I absolutely love this version.
Team Caponata
So many of the cooks I know love caponata. It’s wildly adaptable, and it just gets better as you let the flavors meld, refrigerated, in the days after cooking. It can be served either warm or room temperature. Let’s say you have caponata in the refrigerator. If you also keep something sparkling to drink, some toasted nuts, maybe a wedge of good cheese, sourdough, etc. you're ready to host on the fly. A quick spread becomes a breeze to pull off.
The Process
This caponata is a breeze to make and comes together in a few primary steps. First you roast the cauliflower, celery, and red onion in a bit of olive oil.
Once those are roasted they're combined with the remaining ingredients including tomatoes, capers, olives, and dates (or raisins). Give it all a good stir. The roast in an oven until everything is thick and concentrated.
Serve topped with herbs and serve warm or at room temperature.
What to Serve with Caponata
There are endless ways to enjoy this caponata. Here are some favorites:
- With bread: If you want to keep it simple, simply serve the caponata alongside good, toasted bread. Or, take it up a notch and make bruschetta - slather grilled bread with a bit of burrata and then top with the caponata.
- Tossed throughout pasta: This is the ultimate quick meal. Cook a favorite pasta and stir the caponata throughout. Level up by making it with homemade pasta.
- With Polenta: this is one of my favorite options. I like a bowl of creamy polenta topped with this cauliflower caponata, finished with a showering of grated cheese or baby swirl of creme fraiche and some snipped chives.
- Savory brunch: As a make-ahead option the caponata is great alongside a frittata and a bunch of potatoes or artichokes. I love it with smashed skillet potatoes, or a big-wedge version of oven fries (dial up the cooking time).
- With Potatoes in general: Related, there’s something about the way this caponata melds with potatoes that makes it the ultimate cozy, comfort food. It’s great as a topping to piping hot baked potato. Another good option is over mashed potatoes.
More Anna Jones
Anna is UK-based, but her fantastic books are available in the U.S. as well. And you can follow her for inspiration and recipes on a number of channels!
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Simple Weeknight Cauliflower
- Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
- Pickled Cauliflower
- Chickpea Cauliflower Korma
- Beer-Roasted Cauliflower with Pasta
- Simple Cauliflower Soup
- Rainbow Cauliflower Rice Bowl
- all cauliflower recipes
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Cauliflower Caponata
A couple notes and tips. Invest in great tasting vinegar, there are so many great ones available now. On the olive front, I tend to keep Castelvetrano olives on hand, and they’re great here. I’ve also used Kalamata, you can use a blend of what you have. Anna uses raisins in her recipe, but I tend to have dates around and substitute those for the sweet and sticky element here. Tomatoes! Canned whole tomatoes here in the U.S. seem to contain a wide range of juice in the can, so I get specific here. For this recipe I use a slotted spoon to strain out the tomatoes, and then add them along with about 1/2 cup of the juice to the pan, it seems to be a good amount so things cook down nicely.
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (2 pounds), broken into 1 1/2-inch florets
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into eights
- 3 stalks of celery, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 28- ounce can plum tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes, juices reserved
- 10 - 12 green or black olives, pits removed, torn into pieces
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 3 large dates, pits removed, chopped
- 1/2 bunch of herbs - parsley, cilantro, chives, or a mix, chopped
- Warm bread to serve
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Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Place the cauliflower, red onion, and celery on a large, rimmed sheet pan with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat, the roast for 25 minutes, until everything is slightly charred and starting to soften. Turn the
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At this point I like to transfer the roasted vegetables to whatever oven-safe pan I plan on serving the caponata in (a 3.5 quart Le Creuset), but you can continue using the rimmed sheet pan if you prefer. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands as you go (or using culinary scissors) along with about 1/2 cup of the reserved juices, the olives, capers, and dates. Stir well and return to the oven for another 40 minutes, or until everything is thick and concentrated.
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Once ready, and while still hot, add another tablespoon of vinegar, toss through a handful of herbs and serve alongside good, toasted bread. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil to bring ell together at the table.
Serves 4.
Adapted from Anna Jones Easy Wins (U.K.-edition): 12 flavour hits, 125 delicious recipes, 365 days of good eating - Fourth Estate (2024)
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