Caponata with Pork Fennel Meatballs

This Caponata with Pork Fennel Meatballs is one of the most comforting and tastiest dishes you could ever eat

All the classic flavours you have come to love and appreciate from Italy combined into a fusion dish with layers of texture.

What is caponata sauce made of

Caponata is a Sicilian dish consisting of chopped fried aubergine and other vegetables such as celery and courgettes. The vegetables are stewed in a thick tomato sauce and flavoured with black olives and capers. Caponata recipes vary among locals with some adding carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, pine nuts, and raisins.

What is the difference between Caponata and Ratatouille

Caponata includes capers and green or black olives. Whilst Ratatouille is also a vegetable and tomato-based sauce very similar to Caponata, it doesn’t contain the sour salty addition of capers and olives.

Pork Fennel Meatballs

Pork and fennel are a harmonious flavour pairing and are combined together in many Italian dishes. Taking inspiration from spaghetti and meatballs here pork mince is infused with fennel and incorporated into the delicious caponata.

If you liked this recipe you may also be interested in:

• Roasted Tomato and Fennel Pasta – using fresh tomato, lemon and fennel seeds
• Beef Ragu with Walnut Pesto – served with delicious mini pasta shells
• Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese – with mushroom ‘bacon bits’ and halloumi

Garnish

Good quality and amazing-tasting olive oil is all you need to finish the stew off perfectly. Drizzle the oil over generously and top with fresh fragrant basil and toasted pine nuts. A very heartwarming plate of food!

Caponata with Pork Fennel Meatballs

Print Recipe

Sicilian inspired Caponata with Fennel Meatballs recipe with pine nuts and basil

• Author: Flaevor
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 35 Minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Pork
• Method: Stove Top Cooking
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Meatballs

• 250g minced beef
• 250g minced pork
• 60g breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar
• 1 garlic clove crushed (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• Sea salt and pepper

Caponata

• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large aubergine
• 2 courgettes
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 150g baby plum or cherry tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin tomatoes
• 1 glass white wine
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp capers
• 14 pitted black olives, roughly chopped into large pieces

Garnish

• 4 tbsp pine nuts
• Basil

Instructions

1. Cut aubergine into medium chunks, sprinkle with salt and let it sweat for at least 10 minutes. Chop the remaining vegetables into medium size chunks. Finely chop onion and garlic.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, cook aubergine for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Remove and set aside.
3. Fry onions over medium heat until soft, then add garlic, celery, courgette, oregano and cook a further 10 minutes. Return aubergine to the pan.
4. Chop baby plum tomatoes in half and add to the vegetables along with the tinned tomatoes, wine, vinegar, sugar, and a splash of water. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. (See notes for additional cooking tips)
5. To make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 200C. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. Separate into even-sized meatballs, either circular or slightly oval-shaped.
6. Place on a greased tray or baking paper and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once halfway through so they are evenly browned.
7. To finish: Add meatballs to the caponata pan and spoon over the sauce so they are submerged. Cover again and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, using a nonstick frying pan, gently dry roast pine nuts until lightly browned. Set aside. Next rough chop the olives and capers.
9. To serve: Stir olives and capers through caponata. Divide between bowls. Garnish with roasted pine nuts, freshly chopped basil leaves, and a drizzle of good-quality olive oil.

Notes

• Caponata can be cooked relatively quickly in 30 minutes which will produce a delicious tomato vegetable stew. However, when time allows, slowly simmering the sauce down for 1 hour + will produce a much richer glossier decadent sauce.
• Season sauce with extra salt and pepper as needed

Keywords: What is caponata sauce made from, italian pork recipes, comforting italian recipes, fennel and pork recipes