You can call this caponata; the Italians do, and it would be hard to imagine it evolving anywhere but southern Italy. Make it in quantity if you like, because it keeps quite well for up to one week. Always bring to room temperature before serving, with bread or crackers.
About 2 pounds of eggplant
6 tablespoons of Extra‐virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Large onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1 slice of Red bell pepper, stemmed, peeled if desired, seeded, and d
2 cans of Ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped, or about 1 1/ cups ned tomatoes, drained and crushed
3 tablespoons of Capers
1 tablespoon of Red or white wine vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley leaves
Peel the eggplant if you like, then cut it into 1/2‐inch cubes. Salt them liberally and place them in a colander for a half‐hour or more. Rinse them thoroughly, then press between paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
Place the olive oil in a large non‐stick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant, stirring and shaking almost constantly, until it absorbs all the oil and begins to brown and soften. Add the black pepper, onion, garlic, red pepper, and tomatoes, and continue to cook until all the vegetables soften and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes; do not overcook—the vegetables should remain distinct.
Add the capers, sugar, and vinegar (a bit less if you used vinegar‐packed capers), parsley, additional salt (probably not needed), and pepper; remove from heat. Serve at room temperature.
