Sicilian Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1 cup celery chopped
• 1 lb crusty bread such as ciabatta italian cut into 1/3-in.-thick slices
• 1 large eggplant cut into 1/2-in. dice ( 4 cups)
• 0.3 cup basil fresh chopped
• 0.3 cup flat-leaf parsley fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic minced
• 1 cup olives green chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 6 tbsp olive oil divided
• 0.3 cup oregano fresh chopped
• 0.5 cup pinenuts toasted
• 0.5 cup raisins 
• 1 cup bell pepper red chopped
• 0.3 cup red-wine vinegar 
• 1 cup ricotta cheese 
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 0.3 cup tomato paste 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Lay bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tbsp. oil.
3. Bake until toasted and light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook eggplant, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes.
5. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
6. In the same pan, cook garlic in remaining 2 tbsp. oil, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
7. Add celery, bell pepper, and olives, stirring to combine, and cook until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water, the vinegar, tomato paste, raisins, and pine nuts and cook until heated through. Stir in reserved eggplant, salt, and sugar, then mix in herbs.
8. Serve caponata with ricotta on the toasted bread.
9. Make ahead: Chill caponata up to 2 days and store toasts airtight up to 2 days.