Dishes where only the smell immediately evokes the memory of a weekend away or a family dinner in a small restaurant overlooking the sea.
One of these dishes is the mythical Caponata.
From a nutritional point of view it is rich in vitamins, fibre and good fats. However, it can be quite calorific and hard to digest.
The vegetables include aubergines and peppers which are traditionally fried and accompanied by ingredients such as olives and dried fruit.
The first trick to lighten the dish is to take inspiration from ratatouille, using courgettes and then introducing them into the aubergine and peppers. Full of water, courgette has a refreshing power, little sodium and only 17 calories per 100 grams.
Instead of frying, we opt for a quick frying in the pan with extra virgin olive oil and spices, which allow you to cut fat and salt. One tablespoon of pine nuts and hazelnuts, one tasty slice of toasted wholemeal bread and a few fresh basil leaves and the dish is done.
It won’t be 100% the Sicilian recipe, but in terms of colour and flavour it’s almost as good as the real thing.
1 medium red pepper
2 courgettes, medium
1 average aubergine
1 medium onion
20 g pine nuts
20 g of hazelnuts
80 g of wholemeal bread per person
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chili as needed
sweet paprika as needed
salt as needed
pepper as needed
basil leaves