Vegetarian mains
Roasted Caponata Linguine
Caponata is an Italian dish of mixed vegetables in a sweet-sour dressing with salty capers and dried fruit. It incorporates the Italian principle of agrodolce (literally sour and sweet), a flavour combination that is also prevalent in many other cuisines. The vinegar and briny tang of capers and olives are well balanced out by the sweet tomatoes and plump sultanas.
Cook's notes
This is a great recipe to batch cook on the weekend and get ahead for meals in the week. Aside from pasta, you could serve it on toast for a twist on bruschetta, tucked into an omelette, as a side with meat or fish, on polenta, even in a baked potato. It can also be frozen, if you want to make a big batch and keep some for another week. Your future self will thank you.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp capers
- 40g sultanas
- 1 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 large aubergine, cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 large courgette, cut into bite sized chunks
- 3 celery sticks, roughly diced
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes, or use 400g fresh, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 350g linguine
- 60g pitted olives, roughly slice
- small bunch of basil, or use a tablespoon or so of pesto
- red wine vinegar, to taste
- sugar, optional to taste
- Parmesan cheese, or vegetarian/vegan alternative, to finish
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 190˚C fan/Gas 6-7. Place a large roasting tin in the oven.
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Step 2
Put the capers and sultanas in a small bowl of cold water to soak.
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Step 3
Throw the onion, aubergine, courgette and celery into the roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast the veg for 25 minutes until starting to soften and colour.
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Step 4
Meanwhile put a pan of salted water on for the pasta.
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Step 5
Remove the roasting tray from the oven and add the chopped tomatoes and garlic. Return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes while you cook the linguine according to the packet instructions.
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Step 6
When ready, remove the tray from the oven and add the drained capers and sultanas. Stir in the olives and tear in the basil. Taste and tweak with some vinegar, sugar and more seasoning to your liking – remember it wants to piquant so be bold with the vinegar.
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Step 7
Drain the pasta and then stir in the roast veg. Serve in bowls topped with plenty of cheese to finish.