Slow cooker eggplant caponata with creamy polenta

Name: Slow cooker eggplant caponata with creamy polenta
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 365 min
Total time: 400 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 eggplant, medium, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 stalks celery, sliced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 can diced tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 3 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp salt, divided; 1 pinch red pepper flakes; ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, halved; 1 tbsp capers; 4 cups water; 1 cup cornmeal; 2 tbsp butter; ½ cup grated parmesan; 1 cup ricotta cheese; 4 sprigs fresh basil, leaves torn (optional)

Sicily’s sweet and sour eggplant stew of peppers, olives and capers cooks itself all afternoon, then gets spooned over cheesy polenta with ricotta.

400 min total
35 min hands-on
Anyone can make this
Serves 4
About $3.58 a serving
600 calories
Good the next day
Vegetarian
Gluten-free

Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

2 eggplant, medium, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
⅓ cup Kalamata olives, halved
1 tbsp capers
1 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp butter
½ cup grated parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 sprigs fresh basil, leaves torn (optional)

From your pantry

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt, divided
1 pinch red pepper flakes
4 cups water

Each serving has about 600 calories, 19 g protein, 67 g carbs and 30 g fat, and costs about $3.58 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.

Missing something?

No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
No diced tomatoes? Crushed tomatoes work.
No Kalamata olives? Black olives work.
No butter? Ghee works.
No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
No ricotta cheese? Cottage cheese works.

Steps

Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.

Put the eggplant, onion, celery, pepper, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, oil, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper flakes in the slow cooker and stir well.
Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours (or High for 3 hours), until the eggplant is completely soft.
Timer: 330 min
Dolly’s tip: It looks dry at first. The eggplant lets go of plenty of juice as it cooks.
Stir in the olives and capers and let it sit on Warm while you make the polenta.
Bring the water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large over high heat. Pour in the cornmeal in a slow stream, the whole time.
High heat
Dolly’s tip: Pouring slowly while you whisk is the one trick that stops lumps.
Turn the heat to low and cook, every few minutes, until thick and creamy with no gritty bite, 20 to 25 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 22 min
Dolly’s tip: It spits as it thickens. Stand back a little and use a long whisk or spoon.
Stir the butter and parmesan into the polenta.
Spoon the polenta into bowls, top with the caponata and a dollop of ricotta, and scatter basil over.