Sicilian Eggplant and Pine Nut Caponata

This Sicilian dish of eggplant and other vegetables sautéed in a sweet and sour sauce is shockingly flavorful. Packed with extra-virgin olive oil, raisins, pine nuts, herbs, vinegar, sugar, and a slew of other ingredients, it's the kind of dish you have to recalibrate your whole mouth for in order to really appreciate.

Caponata from 'River Cottage Veg'

Caponata is one of my favorite dippy things to whip out for summertime entertaining. A tangy sweet-and-sour melange of eggplant, tomatoes, and briny olives, the dish plays well with summer staples like grilled bread, grilled chicken, and grilled...well, anything. This version, from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's version in River Cottage Veg, calls for an ingredient that I'd never thought to include in my caponatas: chocolate.

Josephine's Caponata (Eggplant Appetizer)

This sweet, tangy, briny caponata is delicious with crisp crostini toasts or wedges of crusty bread and a glass of wine. Great for entertaining!

Sicilian-Style Broccoli Rabe With Eggplant and Capers

A simplified versino of caponata—the classic sweet and sour Sicilian eggplant relish—tossed with bitter broccoli rabe. This is about as flavorful as side dishes get.

Eggplant Pasta

This Eggplant Pasta is One of Italy's Most Legendary Pasta Today we are making one of Italy's, specifically Sicily, most famous and legendary pastas, Pasta alla Norma, the star of which is eggplant.

Pasta Alla Norma (Sicilian Pasta With Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Ricotta Salata)

A classic Sicilian dish of eggplant sautéed in olive oil and served with pasta in a rich tomato sauce garnished with ricotta salata.

Peperonata (Sweet Bell Peppers With Olive Oil, Onion, and Tomatoes)

Starring sweet summer bell peppers stewed in olive oil with onions, garlic, and tomato, peperonata is wonderful with roasted meats or spooned onto slices of country bread.

Pasta with Eggplant, Portobella, and Tomatoes

I spent a good portion of the last month making eggplant parmesan for the Food Lab article on the subject. This left me with a few things: lots of canned tomatoes, plenty of Parmigiano-Reggiano, a slew of eggplants, and a great microwave-then-cook technique for getting the most out of their texture. That's about all there is to say about this recipe, other than the fact that it takes about 20 minutes to throw together, and is really good to boot.

French in a Flash: Campanelle with Eggplant Caviar

For this pasta dish, I purée roasted garlic, basil, and a touch of chili with the eggplant, and toss it over trumpets of campanelle pasta, studded with toasted pine nuts and laced with strings of fresh basil. Since eggplant is in season in the late summer, along with basil, now is the time when this dish is cheapest and best. Don't waste another second!

Bucatini with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Sauce

Turn fresh summer produce into a hearty pasta dish with a fresh cherry tomato sauce, roasted eggplant, and herbs. Perfect for the transition to fall!