Agrodolce Sauce with Grapes

Homemade Agrodolce Sauce with Grapes is the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Sweet golden raisins and red grapes combine with earthy pine nuts, red onion, and sour red wine vinegar to create a sweet and sour compote style sauce popular in Italy. Sweet, tart, and full of flavor and texture, this sauce is sure to be your new go to appetizer, side or topping!

What Exactly Is Agrodolce Sauce?

A little sweet, a little sour, a touch acidic, and completely delicious. This sauce originates from Italy. It can instantly add a dash of flavor and color to almost any dish. Agrodolce sauce is also completely customizable based on your tastes and the flavor palette you’re going for. You can easily experiment with ingredients and ratios until you find that perfect combination. This stuff is so great, it’s easy to want to put it on absolutely everything.

How Can I Serve This?

Speaking of, there’s so many ways you can use this delicious sauce. Spoon it on baguette slices for a great appetizer. Top grilled or roasted chicken, pork chops, sausages, or seafood. Throw it in to add flavor to your favorite roasted or sautéed veggies. Add it to pastas, chicken salad, as a spread on a sandwich. This would be amazing on an elevated grilled cheese. Seriously, it goes with anything! 

What You Need To Make Agrodolce Sauce With Grapes

• Golden Raisins
• Warm Water
• Pine Nuts or Chopped Walnuts
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Sugar
• Finely Chopped Red Onion
• Fennel Seeds
• Red Seedless Grapes

How To Make The Recipe

Combine the golden raisins with the warm water in a small bowl and let stand for 15 minutes.

 In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the red wine vinegar, sugar, red onion, and fennel seeds. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer until thickened slightly and the onions have softened, about 15 minutes.

Drain the raisins and add them to the mixture with the pine nuts and grapes. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Enjoy.

Storing The Recipe

You can store this sauce in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you can keep it around that long. 

Recipe Tips

Switch out the pine nuts or walnuts for almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans.

You can use any kind of vinegar you like. Apple cider vinegar will give you a slightly sweeter compote, swap the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even sherry vinegar.

Instead of golden raisins try sour cherries, cranberries, apricots, or red currants.

Add minced garlic and fresh rosemary for some earthy flavors. Or a splash of lime juice for a burst of citrus flavor. If you want to add heat, try throwing in a serrano pepper. For a more mild heat, a poblano pepper would work well. 

Instead of sugar, try a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.

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