Starter Italian, inspired by Sicilian cooking
Sweet-and-sour pumpkin caponata with olives, capers and raisins
Vegetarian
Editorially prepared
An autumn caponata of roasted pumpkin, olives, capers and raisins in a sweet-and-sour vinegar and honey dressing. Make it the day before and serve without reheating in a sharing bowl, with toast alongside. A small sharing dish for a Halloween meze table.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
Increase the ingredients proportionally. Keep the pumpkin in a single layer with gaps between the pieces; use another tray or roast in batches for larger quantities. Batch roasting will extend the preparation time. Cool larger quantities in several shallow containers.
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You’ll need
Oven · Baking tray lined with baking parchment · Scales, measuring tablespoon and teaspoon · Knife and chopping board · Frying pan about 24 cm across · Spatula · Shallow container with a lid · Serving bowl and spoon
Method
0/8 stepsPrepare the ingredients
Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional. While it heats, cut the pumpkin into roughly 2 cm cubes. Toss with half the olive oil and spread on the tray in a single layer, leaving gaps. Reserve the remaining olive oil for frying. Peel the onion, wash the celery and finely chop both. Drain the olives, capers and sun-dried tomatoes; halve the olives and cut the tomatoes into strips. Measure the remaining ingredients. Allow about 15 minutes for preparation.
Prepare the ingredients Roast the pumpkin
Put the pumpkin in the preheated oven and roast for 20–25 minutes from the moment the tray goes in. Meanwhile, prepare the onion, celery and dressing in the following steps. Check the pumpkin after roasting: a fork should enter the centre easily, but the cubes should hold their shape, with lightly browned edges if any. If the centres are still firm, roast for a few more minutes and check again. Remove the cooked pumpkin before combining it with the dressing.
25:00Roast the pumpkin Soften the onion and celery
While the pumpkin roasts, heat the reserved half of the olive oil in the frying pan over a medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and celery. Fry for about 8–10 minutes from adding the vegetables, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the celery has softened. Avoid heavy browning. If the vegetables remain firm, lower the heat and cook a little longer, continuing to stir.
10:00Soften the onion and celery Make the sweet-and-sour dressing
Add the olives, capers, raisins and sun-dried tomatoes to the softened vegetables. Pour in the vinegar, add the honey and stir. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes from the first small bubbles, stirring gently. The honey should dissolve and the liquid should reduce slightly and coat the ingredients; do not let it dry out. Remove the pan from the heat. If the pumpkin is still roasting, set the dressing aside until you have checked that the pumpkin is tender.
03:00Make the sweet-and-sour dressing Combine the caponata
Once the pumpkin is tender but still holding its shape, transfer it to the pan of finished dressing, off the heat. Fold gently with a spatula, lifting the pieces from underneath until coated. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a shallow container and spread in a fairly thin layer to help it cool.
Combine the caponata Cool briefly
Allow the caponata to cool for about 30 minutes from transferring it to the container, until it is no longer giving off noticeable steam. Do not wait for it to become completely cold on the worktop: if it is still warm at this point, put the shallow container in the fridge to finish cooling there. Do not leave the dish out of the fridge for more than 2 hours after cooking.
30:00Cool briefly Marinate overnight
Cover the container and refrigerate at 4°C or below. Leave overnight, about 12 hours from putting it in the fridge, so the caponata chills thoroughly and the flavours mingle. Before serving, check that the whole portion, including the centre, is cold; if not, continue chilling.
Marinate overnight Serve in a bowl
Gently turn the chilled caponata, bringing the dressing up from the bottom, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve without reheating, with a serving spoon and toast alongside. Keep the pumpkin cubes intact and leave ungarnished.
Serve in a bowl
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Tips
- Cut the pumpkin into evenly sized cubes. Do not roast it until it collapses: after marinating overnight, the pieces should still hold their shape when spooned out.
- Capers and olives add salt, so make the final seasoning adjustment only after combining all the ingredients.
- Make the dish the day before. Serve without reheating; for a less chilled serving, take out the portion you need about 20 minutes beforehand. This optional time is not included in the total.
- Serve toast alongside on the meze table. Keep it separate from the caponata so it does not soak up the dressing.
Storage
Keep in a sealed container in the fridge at 4°C or below and eat within 2 days of preparation, including the overnight marinating time. Refrigerate within 2 hours of finishing cooking. Put out small portions for serving and keep the remainder refrigerated. Freezing is not recommended, as the pumpkin can lose its shape when thawed.
Timing
Hands-on: 39 min · Cooking: 25 min · Resting: 12 hr 30 min
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