Caponata Linguine
4

Serves 8

This hearty pasta sauce features eggplant matched with the bold flavors of capers, olives and balsamic vinegar. Make a day ahead of time if you can, as the flavors will be even better the next day. Serve with a light green salad, Italian bread and your favorite red wine.

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    Ingredients: 
    • 2 large eggplants, diced
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt
    • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced
    • 1 green bell pepper, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste up to 5 cloves
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 3 celery ribs, diced
    • 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 1/4 cup capers, drained and roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
    • 16 ounces fresh or dried linguine, cooked according to package directions
    • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
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    Method: 

    Place eggplant in a colander and mix with sea salt. Weight eggplant down with a few plates and let eggplant drain in sink for about 30 minutes.

    Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

    When eggplant is drained, use a towel to pat it dry. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté eggplant until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté peppers until soft, about 5 minutes and set aside with eggplant. Add garlic, onion and celery to the skillet and sauté, covered, until onion is golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir to break them up. Cover and cook 10 minutes more.

    In a small pot over medium heat, mix together sugar, vinegar and capers. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

    Add eggplant, peppers, olives and pine nuts to the large skillet and pour sugar-vinegar sauce over vegetables. Mix well and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and taste, adjusting seasonings if needed.

    Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and mix caponata into pasta and serve, garnished with fresh basil.

    Nutritional Info: 
    Per Serving:370 calories (100 from fat), 11g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 620mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 13g sugar), 11g protein
    Special Diets: 

    Note: We've provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember — we're cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information. See our Terms of Service.

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