Caponata
I'd saute:
2 crushed or chopped cloves of garlic
1 chopped small onion, red might be nice
1 sliced celery stick (or more, if you like)
maybe some sliced fennel if you have it
one or two diced egg plants (adjust proportions of all above to size/number of eggplants)
When it's getting cooked, I'd add a few spoons of tom. sauce/paste (to color and add flavor, not to make mushy or sauce), a dash of balsamic vinegar and some capers.
Maybe, if I didn't put fennel in it, I'd add some fennel seeds at this point. Salt and pepper. Even a pinch of sugar -- don't ask me why, but I do that sometimes. Chopped parsley at the end, or, if you haven't put in any fennel/fennel seeds, maybe some basil?
Can't remember what else. You can add other things, of course. I've added finely julienned carrots (flavour goes well and color is pretty) -- doubt that's orthodox, but what is actually orthodox in any Italian dish? Pine nuts at the end are nice. I think once I put a few raisins, which sounds strange and probably isn't really caponata, but it went well with the smell emerging from the pot and it tasted good. I've been known to add lots of different things (and spices), working on the idea that people will probably eat it standing up with a drink before dinner is served: small amounts on toast, so rich is good. If it's to be a sit-down appetiser, I'd keep it simpler so, since they eat more of it then, it doesn't feel too rich.
Next time I meet a Sicilian, I will ask how they make it. In the meantime (if you are doing this soon), these are my thoughts.