A little taste of Sicily for slow afternoons, long lunches and evenings that stretch towards sunset.
There is a particular pleasure in an Italian aperitivo. It is not quite lunch and not quite dinner, but a delicious little pause in between. Something cold to drink, a few plates of food to share and plenty of time to sit and talk.
This Sicilian aperitivo takes its inspiration from the flavours of Sicily and the relaxed atmosphere of Taormina. At the centre is a simple homemade caponata, the much-loved Sicilian dish of silky aubergine, tomato, celery, olives and capers with its characteristic sweet and sour dressing. Caponata is traditionally served as an appetiser or accompaniment and is particularly associated with Sicily's summer tables.
Here, we spoon the caponata onto crisp toasted bread and serve it alongside creamy ricotta, Sicilian pistachios, olives and a few simple Mediterranean nibbles. It is uncomplicated food, but arranged on a beautiful platter it feels wonderfully abundant.
Serves
4–6 as an aperitivo
Ingredients
For the caponata
1 large aubergine, approximately 350g
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely diced
200g chopped tomatoes
60g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
25g pine nuts
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A small handful of fresh basil leaves
To serve
1 small rustic loaf or ciabatta
150g ricotta
50g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
100g green or mixed olives
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
Lemon wedges, optional
Method
Prepare the aubergine
Cut the aubergine into small cubes and place in a colander. Sprinkle lightly with salt and leave for around 30–60 minutes. This traditional preparation helps draw out some of the aubergine's moisture. Rinse briefly and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
Cook the caponata
Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and cook for around 8–10 minutes, turning regularly, until softened and lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add another little drizzle of olive oil to the pan and gently cook the onion and celery for around 5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers and pine nuts and cook for a further 10–15 minutes, allowing the sauce to become rich and concentrated.
Return the aubergine to the pan and stir everything together. Add the white wine vinegar and sugar and cook for another 3–4 minutes, allowing the sharpness of the vinegar to mellow into the sweet-and-sour flavour that characterises Sicilian caponata. Season with salt and black pepper and finish with fresh basil.
Allow the caponata to cool to room temperature. It can also be made several hours ahead, which gives the flavours even more time to develop.
Toast the bread
Slice the rustic bread into generous pieces and brush lightly with olive oil. Toast under a hot grill or in a hot oven until crisp and golden around the edges but still slightly soft in the centre.
Create your aperitivo platter
Arrange the warm toasted bread on a large serving board or platter. Spoon the caponata generously over some of the slices, leaving a few pieces plain for serving with ricotta.
Place the ricotta in a small bowl and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Scatter the chopped pistachios over the platter and arrange the olives alongside the crostini. Finish with fresh basil leaves and, if you like, a few lemon wedges.
Bring everything to the table and allow everyone to help themselves.
A Mia Dolce Vita Touch
Imagine yourself sitting on a terrace overlooking the Ionian Sea, a chilled drink in your hand and a plate of little Sicilian bites in the middle of the table. That is the feeling this aperitivo is designed to recreate at home.
There is no need to make everything from scratch. The beauty of an Italian aperitivo is its generosity and simplicity. Add a bowl of roasted almonds, some good bread, marinated vegetables or slices of melon and prosciutto if you have them. For something particularly Sicilian, look for Bronte pistachios, Sicilian olives or a good extra-virgin olive oil.
Taormina itself sits within a part of Sicily celebrated for ingredients and dishes including pistachios, caponata, arancini, pasta alla Norma and fish from the Ionian coast. Check out our Weekend in Taormina article here for some weekend travel inspiration!
Pour something cold, put the food in the middle of the table and don't worry about making it perfect.