Pasta alla Caponata – a light and delicious meatless pasta dish

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Pasta Caponata

Enjoy a flavorful light Caponata served with pasta for a delicious restaurant style meal at a fraction of the cost! Perfect for your next Meatless Monday.

Total Time: 40 minutes
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Pasta all Caponata, perfect for your next meatless Monday!

I  make no secret of the fact that I do love pasta! Through all of my years as a chef, my specialties have always been Italian Style Dishes, many containing pasta as an integral part of the dish.

But with all of the world dishes I’ve created and served, it’s always the simplest dishes that make me the happiest. Pasta tossed with freshly made marinara, grilled vegetables or simply tossed in pesto make for a light, yet delicious meal.

Pasta with vegetables on a white plate with a sprig of basil and a fork, sitting on a red napkin

With all the fresh vegetables in the market, I decided to make one of Lisa’s favorite bruschetta toppings and toss it with pasta instead. We couldn’t have asked for a fresher, tastier meal!

The grilled veggies made a flavorful caponata that was the perfect complement to an al dente linguine that had been tossed in extra virgin olive oil. Add a little freshly grated Pecorino Romano and you have one delicious plate of pasta.

Pasta with vegetables and a sprig of basil on a white plate on a red napkin

Now all you need to complete your meal is a tossed salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and either a bottle of sparkling water or a nice light wine and you’ll have a restaurant style meal at a fraction of the cost and what could be better than that!

pasta topped with vegetables on a white plate with a sprig of basil

If you’ve tried my Pasta alla Caponata or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME  on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels,  Twitter and Facebook.

You might also like my Bucatini with Blackened Salmon and Gorgonzola.

Pasta Caponata
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5 from 3 votes

Pasta alla Caponata

Enjoy a flavorful light Caponata served with pasta for a delicious restaurant style meal at a fraction of the cost! Perfect for your next Meatless Monday.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: caponata, pasta dish, pasta recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 515kcal
Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant peeled grilled, small dice
  • 1 small zucchini sliced long way grilled , small dice
  • ½ cup assorted pitted olives small dice
  • 1 medium tomato small dice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped basil
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
  • Extra virgin olive oil to toss pasta
  • 2 tablespoons Freshly grated Romano cheese to finish the dish

Instructions

  • Coat eggplant and zucchini in olive oil season with sea salt and pepper and grill or roast until barely cooked. Allow to cool before dicing.
  • Dice eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and olives (cut in a small dice)
  • Mix all of the ingredients (except pasta and cheese) together a bowl and toss until mixed well and set aside. Keep at room temp if you are using immediately. If not using right away refrigerate mixture, allowing it to come back to room temperature before using.
  • Cook pasta al dente, according to instructions on the box
  • Toss cooked pasta with extra virgin olive oil, top with caponata and freshly grated romano cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 715mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 4mg

 

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About Chef Dennis

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Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

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Comments

  1. The Ninja Baker says

    Your pasta stirs up fond remembrances of visiting my mother in Boston. At Faneuil Market many from the North End would display their dishes and desserts. But I daresay many have not been as lovely and light as the pictured creation from Chef Dennis =)

    Reply

  3. Jeanette says

    Caponata is one of my favorite ways to enjoy all the fresh summer produce. I’ve never tried it on pasta – what a great idea!

    Reply

  7. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen says

    Oh how delicious! Must try this one. Even if it isn’t summer, I can have this alla caponata all year long. Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis. Happy fall season!

    Reply

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