This recipe was inspired by our Patrick's love for all things Italian. Caponata is a classic Sicilian aubergine dish bursting with 'agrodolce' flavours - that's the Italian word for sweet and sour! But Patrick can't resist experimenting in the kitchen and has included some sausage in his caponata. Sicilians are notoriously protective of their recipes, so let's make sure it stays our delicious little secret, OK?
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
1
Bell Pepper
200
Penne Pasta
15
Cider Vinegar
(Contains Sulphites)
30
Olives
225
Pork Sausage Meat
(Contains Sulphites, Cereals containing gluten May contain Celery, Soya, Nuts, Fish, Milk, Egg, Mustard)
1
Chicken Stock Powder
1
Finely Chopped Tomatoes with Onion and Garlic
1
Aubergine
(May contain Celery)
40
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains Milk, Egg)
1
Red Onion
100
Water for the Sauce
Preheat your oven to 220°C.Trim the aubergine then halve lengthways. Chop each half into four long strips then chop widthways into roughly 2cm pieces. Halve, peel and chop the red onion into small pieces.Halve the pepper and discard the core and seeds. Slice into thin strips. Put a large saucepan of water with 0.5 tsp of salt on to boil for the pasta.
Spread the aubergine and pepper out on a baking tray. Drizzle over some oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on the top shelf of your oven until soft and a little crispy around the edges, 15-20 mins, turning halfway through.
Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage meat. Cook until browned, 5-6 mins, break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the onion to the sausage meat, stir together and cook until the onion has softened, 4-5 mins. Add the cider vinegar and cook until almost evaporated.
Pour the chopped tomatoes into your pan along with the chicken stock powder and water (see ingredients for amount). Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar (if you have some). Stir together and leave to simmer and thicken, 10-15 mins. Stir every few mins.
Meanwhile, add the penne to your pan of boiling water. Cook for 12 mins then drain in a colander, return to the pan off the heat and drizzle with a little oil to stop it from sticking.
Once the aubergine and pepper are ready, remove from your oven and stir into the tomato sauce along with the olives. We like to leave our olives whole for texture but chop them up if you'd like to, or leave out altogether if you're not a fan! Stir the pasta into the caponata. Serve in big bowls and sprinkle the hard Italian cheese over the top. Buon appetito!