Cauliflower caponata recipe
This recipe offers a cauliflower twist on the traditional aubergine classic

Caponata is a masterclass in balancing sweet, sour and salty, said Anna Jones. It's most often made with aubergine, which you have to fry in lots of olive oil first, making it less than ideal for a weeknight. But this buttery cauliflower version is all done in the oven, and to me it's just as good as the aubergine one. It has the texture of a stew and can be eaten warm as an antipasto – as is most common in Italy – on toast, or tossed through pasta.
Ingredients
- 1kg cauliflower, broken into roughly 4cm florets
- 3 red onions, peeled and cut into eighths
- 3 sticks of celery, cut into 2cm pieces
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
- 2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
- 100g green or black olives, stones removed (I use a mixture of both)
- 3 tbsp capers
- 50g raisins
- ½ a bunch of parsley, leaves picked
- warm bread, to serve
Method
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
- Put the cauliflower, broken into florets, the 3 red onions (cut into eighths), and the pieces of celery into a large, high-sided baking tray with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of white-wine vinegar and a little sea salt and pepper.
- Toss the mixture to coat, then roast for about 25 minutes, until everything is slightly charred and starting to soften. Remove from the oven.
- Turn the oven down to 200°C/180°C fan. Add the tins of plum tomatoes, breaking them in your hands as you do so, along with 100g of stoned green or black olives, 3 tablespoons of capers and 50g raisins. Give everything a good mix, mashing slightly with a fork, and return to the oven for about 40 minutes, or until everything is soft and sticky.
- Once ready, and while the mix is still piping hot, add another tablespoon of vinegar, toss through a handful of parsley leaves and serve. Finish with a very generous dousing of extra-virgin olive oil to bring it all together.
- Serve with warm bread.
Taken from Easy Wins: 12 flavour hits, 125 delicious recipes, 365 days of good eating by Anna Jones, published by Fourth Estate at £28. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £21.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
9 haunted hotels where things definitely go bump in the night
The Week Recommends Don’t fear these spirited spots. Embrace them.
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
The 5 best zombie TV shows of all time
The Week Recommends For undead aficionados, the age of abundance has truly arrived
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’