The Hairy Dieters' courgette caponata pasta

Name: hairy bikers courgette caponata pasta
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Yield: 4 servings

A delicious Sicilian vegetable recipe from The Hairy Bikers' book The Hairy Dieters Go Veggie.

close up of a bowl of The Hairy Bikers courgette caponata pasta

By The Hairy Bikers | Published - 6 Jan 2026

Caponata is a punchy vegetable dish that can be eaten on its own but it’s also great with pasta.

Do remember to weigh your pasta – it’s easy to get carried away, as we know all too well.

Prep time

22 mins

Cooking Time

40 mins

Serves

Calories

314

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, diced
2 red peppers, diced
3 large courgettes, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
Grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ tsp cinnamon
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
Sea salt and black pepper
200g pasta, such as penne or shells
Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and peppers. Stir to coat them in the oil, then put a lid on the pan and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
Turn up the heat and add the courgettes. Fry briskly for about 5 minutes, until everything starts to brown a little but the courgettes are still firm. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, lemon zest and cinnamon, then stir briefly.
Pour the tomatoes into the pan with a splash of water and add the vinegar, honey and capers. Season with salt and pepper, bring the mixture to the boil again, then turn the heat down and cover the pan. Leave the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and serve with the sauce and plenty of chopped parsley.

Notes

The veg for caponata are sometimes left quite chunky, but for serving with pasta we like to chop everything a bit more finely. If you like, you can add 50g of chopped green olives along with the capers and these will add an extra 20 calories per person.

Recipe from The Hairy Dieters Go Veggie, (Orion) RRP £14.99.

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(Hero image credit: The Hairy Bikers)

Written by: The Hairy Bikers

Si King and Dave Myers, the Hairy Bikers, became national treasures with their blend of enthusiasm and humour.

They hosted more than 30 TV series combining motorcycling and cooking, and sold more than 6 million copies of their books. In February 2024, Dave Myers passed away after a long battle with cancer.

View author page

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