Agrodolce

July 4, 2025

Agrodolce - kvalifood.com

Agrodolce is an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce from Sicily. Onion is softened in olive oil, then sugar is caramelized and red wine vinegar added to create a syrupy, glossy condiment. It goes over grilled or roasted meat, fish, or vegetables.

Ingredients

Makes ca. 200 ml

120 ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion with the salt and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden.
Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves and begins to lightly caramelize with the onion, about 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the red wine vinegar. It will bubble. Stir and scrape the pan.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce reduces by about one-third and turns syrupy. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Season with black pepper. Taste and adjust – a pinch more sugar if too sharp, a splash more vinegar if too sweet.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

For a balsamic variant, replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar. Reduce sugar to 1 tbsp since balsamic is naturally sweeter. Finish with 1 tbsp cold butter off heat.
For a tomato variant, add 200 g peeled, diced tomatoes after the onion softens. Simmer 15 minutes before adding vinegar and sugar. Add 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for the Arab-Sicilian version.
Stir in torn Castelvetrano olives and toasted pine nuts at the end for a caponata-adjacent condiment.
Keeps refrigerated for up to a week. The sauce thickens as it cools – thin with a splash of water if needed.