Eggplant caponata is, at its core, a hearty stew of eggplant, tomatoes, capers, pine nuts and lots and lots of basil. The sponginess of the eggplant absorbs tons of earthy olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar adds a zesty tang to the whole concoction. I’ve also read, although I haven’t yet tried, it as a great appetizer when spread on top of slices of crusty baguette.

On the day that I made steak and eggplant caponata, I also made a bright green chimichurri sauce (using a recipe from David Guas that I’ve posted here) and drizzled it on top of the steak for added freshness and zip. I found that the eggplant caponata was hearty enough that I felt like I could eat less steak and not be completely and utterly despondent about it afterwards.

This steak and eggplant caponata dish made for a great spring meal. It was so much lighter and fresher than I was expecting out of a red meat meal, and I also liked that this could be a recipe used for a Whole30 or paleo diet, too (i.e., the kind of diet where you can’t eat grains, dairy, refined sugar or beans).

The best part of the caponata is that it can be served at room temperature, which makes it a great make-ahead dish if you’re making this recipe for company. I could totally see guests flitting in and out of my kitchen, grabbing little pecks at a large, welcoming dish of caponata on crostini. Plus, the dish develops more flavor the longer it sits, so I found that leftovers the next day were delicious when spread into an ovenproof baking dish and topped with slices of fresh mozzarella before being baked in an oven at 350 degrees.

Actually, what does it say about me that I’m constantly thinking about my next dinner party? Am I a dinner party addict?

Oof. I think I might be.

My recipe for caponata was inspired by this BBC Good Food recipe