Vegan BBQ Recipes, Vegan Mains, Vegan Pasta Recipes, Vegan Salad Recipes

Vegan Caponata Pasta Salad

Name: Vegan Caponata Pasta Salad
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: For the caponata:; 1 eggplant; 1 red onion; 1 garlic clove; 2 stalks celery; 30 g (1 oz) blanched almonds; 60 g (2 oz) kalamata olives; 3 tsp capers; 1 tbsp sugar; 4 tbsp red wine vinegar; 400 g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes (canned); 2 tbsp lentil spread (e.g. Tartex Beluga Lentil Balsamic Spread); Also:; 400 g (14 oz) short pasta (e.g. orecchiette); 4 sprigs fresh basil; olive oil for frying; salt; pepper

A recipe by Anna Germek | Photos by Anna Germek

If pasta salad still makes you think of mayo, peas, and pickles, you're missing out on a whole world of possibilities. We love mashing up multiple dishes into one new creation, and we're glad this combo came to us. The result: a summery pasta salad in caponata style that tastes like an Italian vacation and is ready in 45 minutes.

What actually is caponata?
This sweet-and-sour vegetable dish is mainly made from eggplant and tomato and counts as a Sicilian classic. Onions, capers, olives, and basil typically join the mix too — so basically, the best flavors of Italy come together on one plate. Traditionally, caponata is served cold or lukewarm as an antipasto or side dish, and it usually tastes even better the next day — which of course goes for our pasta salad too.

Our take on it
Looking at the ingredient list, you'll see that we stuck pretty close to the original for our vegan caponata pasta salad. We left out some ingredients, like raisins, and added others instead. The Tartex Beluga Lentil Balsamic Spread fits perfectly into the caponata thanks to its sweet-and-sour note, giving the whole pasta salad even more depth and creaminess. We love repurposing ingredients we already have at home to create something new, and Tartex spreads are perfect for that. On top of that, they're made in Germany and consist of 100% organic ingredients.

What's the best way to prepare eggplant?
In the recipe, we salt the eggplant before frying so it loses some liquid. We don't deep-fry it, though, unlike some other recipes — simply because we want to keep the dish a little less greasy. If you prefer roasting or deep-frying your eggplant, go ahead: it works the same way for this pasta salad and can just be folded in afterward.

Which vegan sides go with it?
In Italy, caponata is often served as a side dish too, so this vegan caponata pasta salad also pairs perfectly with grilled dishes or summer buffets. For your next BBQ, we can recommend our vegan meatballs, grilled soy steaks, or these vegan & soy-free BBQ sausages.

The eggplant is fried in a pan and olives, capers, peanuts and celery is cut in very small pieces.

Step by step you see the vegetables, fried in a

On the left side the spread from Tartex is in focus and used base for the caponata. On the right side the fried eggplant is m

Vegan Caponata Pasta Salad

6 servings

45 minutes

Ingredients

For the caponata:

1 eggplant
1 red onion
1 garlic clove
2 stalks celery
30 g (1 oz) blanched almonds
60 g (2 oz) kalamata olives
3 tsp capers
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
400 g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes (canned)
2 tbsp lentil spread (e.g. Tartex Beluga Lentil Balsamic Spread)

Also:

400 g (14 oz) short pasta (e.g. orecchiette)
4 sprigs fresh basil
olive oil for frying
salt
pepper

Instructions

Dice the eggplant, salt it, and let sit for approximately 10 minutes until it has released some water. Then fry in plenty of oil and drain on paper towels afterward.

Meanwhile, halve the red onion and cut into thin strips, and mince the garlic. Slice the celery stalks, and chop the celery leaves and set aside. Chop the almonds into pieces and slice the olives.

Sauté the onion and celery in olive oil. After 5 minutes, add the garlic, olives, capers, and almonds, and fry for another 5–10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and let everything caramelize over low heat for 5 minutes, then deglaze with red wine vinegar.

Add the tomatoes and lentil spread and season with salt and pepper. Let everything simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions and let it cool slightly. Then mix with the tomato mixture and the eggplant. Serve with fresh basil, the chopped celery leaves, and a few almonds.