courgette recipes
Here's a collection of courgette recipes from our weekly newsletters, and some lovely ones you've sent in. If you'd like more please have a look at our recipe index! To find out about our courgette producer and order yours click here.
Warm Carrot, Courgette and Red Pepper Salad
Courgette and Cheese Pilau
Courgette and Mint Salad
Courgettes in Spinach Sauce
Oriental Style Courgettes
Mini Spring Onion, Courgette and Cheddar Frittatas
Pasta with a Sort of Courgette Pesto
Courgette Ribbons with Cherry Tomatoes, Mint and
Kalamata olives
Warm Courgette, New Potato and Spring Onion Salad
Penne with Courgettes, Parmesan and Toasted Pinenuts
Soup au Pistou
Hey Presto, Courgette Pesto!
Paul's Asian Raw Salad
Lazy Italian Frittata
Lemony Courgettes
Little Italian Courgette Cakes
Spiced Veggie Fritters with Yogurt Dip
No Pasta Lasagne
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- 250 g small leafed spinach, washed and drained
- 1 red pepper, de-seeded
- 375 g carrots, cut into slices
- 450 g courgettes
- 150 ml olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Wash and dry the spinach leaves and lay them in a shallow serving dish. Cut the courgettes into thick batons. Place the olive oil into a wide casserole dish over low heat. Add the peppers and carrots and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Cover the casserole dish and cook gently for around 25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the courgettes, cover again and leave for another 10 minutes. The courgettes should be tender but still have their colour. To serve, place the warm salad with its juices onto the spinach leaves.
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- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 courgette, diced
- 1 red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 225 g bulghar wheat
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 50 sultanas or raisins
- 25 g pine nuts, toasted
- 125 g mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic and chilli and fry for 5 minutes. Next add the courgette and fry a further 5-10 minutes until golden. Remove mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the heat to low and add the bulghar wheat and heat for 30 seconds until the grains are glossy. Add the stock and sultanas. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the bulghar has softened and the water has absorbed. Return the courgette and onion mixture to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Add the pine nuts and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted, then stir in the mint. Serve immediately.
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- 500 g courgettes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1&1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Fresh mint leaves, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Trim the courgettes and cut into 5 cm long batons. Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the courgettes with the garlic under tender and they begin to brown. As soon as they are done, transfer to a shallow dish and add the wine vinegar and mint. Season to taste and leave to marinate for a few hours before serving.
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Warmed, this is a lovely winter side dish, although you can also serve it chilled. Serves 4-6
- 500 g courgettes
- 350 g spinach
- 150 ml natural yogurt
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 inch root ginger
Slice the courgettes thinly and boil for just a few minutes so that they are still crisp in texture. Place in a serving dish. Boil the spinach in a little water and salt for 6-8 minutes. Drain and puree with the yogurt, garlic and ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon over the courgettes.
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- 120 ml soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 120 ml wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 60 ml water
- 2 courgettes, sliced paper thin
- 2 spring onions, chopped finely
Mix together the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey and water. Whisk in the sesame oil. Toss with the courgettes and onion. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least three hours, preferably overnight. Serve chilled.
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I make a variation on this theme quite often for my son’s
tea. Mushrooms, fresh herbs and goat’s cheese also make for a nice filling.
If you want to scale this recipe down for such occasions, simply use one egg,
a splash of cream and just use your judgment as far as the fillings go (say
1 tbsp grated courgette per frittata, 2 tbsp cheese and 1 spring onion). Instead
of using a muffin tin, as I suggest using in this recipe, use a crème brulee
or other oven proof ramekin. This recipe makes 12 mini frittatas.
- 6 eggs
- 100ml cream
- 125g Cheddar, grated
- 3 smallish or 2 larger spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 courgette, grated
- 1 tbsp softened butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C. Whisk the eggs until frothy.
Whip in the cream. Season with black pepper. Fold in the cheese, spring onion
and courgette. Use a 12-hole muffin tin for your mini frittatas, rub each cup
with a bit of butter. Fill nearly to the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until
puffy, golden and springy.
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My quest to get my son to love courgettes continues. While
making a courgette puree to hide in Jessica Seinfeld's cookies, I decided to
scoop a few tablespoons of the unadulterated puree onto a plate of pasta for
my son. I then added a glug of olive oil and grated over some Manchego (a sheep's
milk alternative to Parmesan cheese). He loved it! Serves 2.
- 2 small or 1 large courgette, cut into 1inch dice (skin left on)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 150g wholewheat spaghetti
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 100g Parmesan cheese (or any hard cheese)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Steam the courgettes and garlic clove for 7 minutes. Puree in a food processor
until smooth. Cook the pasta to the instructions on the pack. Toss with the
olive oil. Fold the courgette puree through the pasta. Grate over the Parmesan,
finish with black pepper. It's lovely hot, but also works well cold.
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This is a lovely picnic dish, or a great one for an adult's
packed lunch. Serves 1 but can be scaled up very easily.
- 1 medium-sized courgette
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 12 mint leaves
- 12 Kalamata olives
- Half a 125g ball of Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Wash the courgette and peel into long, thin ribbons
using a vegetable peeler (the 'Y' shaped variety of peeler is best for this
job!). Halve your tomatoes. Roughly chop your mint and olives. Pile the lot
in the a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over and mix
through using your hands. Arrange on a plate or in a dish (if you're transporting
it to work or the park). Tear the mozzarella into largish pieces. Distribute
through the salad. Drizzle over the balsamic and eat within 24 (ideally 8-12)
hours.
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Serves 2, but again, can be scaled up or down.
- 6-10 new potatoes (use your judgment on how many as they really vary in
size)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-to-large courgette
- 3 spring onions
- 3 inch hunk of Parmesan cheese
- 2 smallish handfuls of fresh rocket leaves
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Clean your potatoes and then (skin can be left on, or
taken off - up to you) slice into 1cm-thick rounds. Melt the butter in a large
wok or frying pan. Add the potatoes, make sure they're covering the bottom of
the pan. Allow to sizzle for a full minute or two. Then, give them a toss and
allow to cook again for a full minute or two. (If you constantly move them about
it will take much longer for them to cook). Continue the cook and toss pattern
for about 10 minutes. Then, put a lid (or use a large frying pan as a cap) on
the pan to allow the potatoes to steam a bit, thus helping them to cook through
more quickly. Steam for 5 minutes, check and continue longer if needed until
the potatoes are quite tender enough to pierce through with a fork (they should
have a bit of a golden crust on them and be nice and fluffy in the centre).
Once cooked, take off the heat. Cut your courgette into 1cm dice. Thinly slices
the spring onions. Put the potatoes back on the heat, add a drizzle of olive
oil (1-2 tsp), once it's sizzling, toss in the courgettes and onions and cook
for 5-10 minutes - the time depends on how cooked you want the courgettes and
onions. I like them barely cooked through, but you can sweat them down a bit
more, or even get them a little brown and crispy if you like. Once cooked pile
onto plates or in a serving dish. Arrange the fresh rocket leaves over and under
the cooked veggies. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the Parmesan into long, thin
shards and pile on top of the warm salad. Add a poached egg on top, if you like.
Or pair with roast lamb or chicken.
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Serves 4
- 500g penne pasta
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 2 medium-sized courgettes
- 50g butter
- 50ml olive oil
- 100g pinenuts, toasted
- 100g Parmesan cheese
- 15g fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped just before adding
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Bring a very large or two medium-sized pots of water to the boil. Cook pasta with garlic cloves until the pasta is al dente, and the garlic cloves are tender. Drain, pass garlic cloves through a garlic press or smash on a cutting board with a fork. Mix garlic, butter, olive oil, sea salt and pepper with warm penne.
Wash courgettes and coarsely grate (i.e. grate using the large grater – the type you’d use to grate Cheddar) the courgettes straight into the pasta. Toss through when the pasta is still slightly warm.
Then, finely grate the Parmesan and add along with the pinenuts and basil.
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This version of the classic Provencal soup is a great way to use up those summery courgettes and other greens. Serves 6.
- 200g tinned borlotti beans, drained
- Sprigs of parsley and thyme
- Crushed peppercorns and sea salt
- 2‐3 celery stalks , finely chopped
- 3‐4 young leeks, finely sliced
- 4‐5 young carrots, diced
- 225g new potatoes, cut into 2cm dice
- 2 medium‐sized courgettes, grated
- 4‐5 handfuls of baby leaf spinach
- 1 handful of rocket leaves, torn or roughly chopped
Pistou
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 generous handfuls of basil leaves
Put beans into a pot with the bunch of herbs tied together, 1.5 litres cold water and a pinch of pepper. Bring to boil, add celery, leeks, carrots and potatoes, and bring back to the boil. Bubble for 10 minutes, then stir in courgette. Return to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5‐10 minutes, remove from heat but keep warm. Make the pistou by blending all the ingredients to a purée in a food processor. Stir in spinach and rocket; return the broth to the boil, stir in the pistou. Bubble up for a moment to allow the oil and the broth to form a light emulsion. If this doesn't happen first time, drop the heat and bubble up again. Remove herbs. For a heartier soup, add torn bread into the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the soup. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
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This recipe is a winner with those who
think they don't like courgettes. Serves as many or as few as you like.
- Pasta (penne works well here)
- Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- A courgette or two
- A lemon
- Fresh mint leaves (or any soft, green herb like basil, chives, chervil or a combo)
- Toasted pinenuts
- A smallish red chilli (or you could use chilli flakes, a splash of Tabasco or even chilli powder)
- Olive oil
- Freshly grated parmesan or a soft crumbly goat's cheese
- Sea salt and black pepper
Cook up a batch of pasta. Drain. Add a splash of olive oil, garlic, the juice and zest from the lemon. Season with sea salt and a good bit of black pepper.
Coarsely grate the courgette into the pasta. Add the chilli punch (finely chopped red chilli or an alternative – this wakes the courgette up a bit). Fold it all through.
Pile onto plates. Drizzle a touch more olive oil over the heap. Then, top with the cheese and tart it up with some mint or other herby leaves and toasted pinenuts. Dive in!
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Serves 4 as a side.
- 2 courgettes
- 2 carrots
- ½ cucumber
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 limes, zest of 1, juice of both
- 1 small chilli, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt and black pepper
You can also add...
- A few spring onions, sliced
- A red pepper, deseeded and sliced
Use a potato peeler to slice the courgettes, carrots and cucumber into long, thin slices.
Soak in cold water for 10 minutes. This softens the vegetables, allowing them to bend and curl around your fork.
Whisk the garlic, lime juice and zest, chilli, soy sauce and oils to make the dressing. Mix with the vegetables. Adjust seasoning to taste. Delicious with scallops or fan-fried sea bass.
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In Italy, our chilled out chums call courgettes ‘zucchini’. Getting grated courgettes into these frittatas is a simple, delicious way of sneaking some greens into breakfast (or lunch, or supper).
Serves 4-6.
- 6 eggs
- 2 mugs of grated Cheddar
- 1 ½ mug of coarsely grated courgette
- 1 tbsp raisins (optional)
- ½ mug of finely chopped spring onions, leek or white onion
- A pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
Preheat the oven grill to high.
Whisk the eggs.
Fold all the other ingredients through. Season.
Tip it into a frying pan brushed with olive oil.
Pop it into the oven and cook until bubbly and golden on top, about 15 mins.
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Prep time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 5-10 minutes
Serves as many or as few as you like
- A few courgettes
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- Olive oil
- A handful of fresh basil
- Sea salt and black pepper
Cut each courgette into three chunky pieces. Halve or quarter each, depending on how big they are. Place a frying pan over medium heat. Add a splash of oil. When hot, add the courgettes. Season. Fry them until they start to pick up some colour. Add the lemon juice and zest. Cook until the lemon juice is pretty much absorbed and evaporated. Tip into a serving dish. Scatter torn basil leaves and some toasted pinenuts over the top. A gorgeous side for new season lamb.
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Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Makes 9-12
- 1 mug of grated courgette
- 100g sugar
- 75ml honey
- 75ml olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 250g flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon, zest and 3 tbsp juice
- A handful of nuts and/or raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 180°C/350F/gas 4.
Mix all the ingredients together. Divide between muffin/cupcake cups. Sprinkle a few nuts over the top of the cakes, if you like. Pinenuts or flaked almonds work beautifully. Bake on a low rack in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Drizzle a bit of honey over the top and tuck in.
The cakes will store for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Delicious with a pat of butter, more honey and a cuppa.
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These are bit like squashed bhajis. They're great as you make them with just about any veg.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves 4 as a side or a snack
- 1 egg
- 2 mugs of coarsely veggies*
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Your choice of spice: we used 2 tsp ground cumin with grated carrots and 1 tsp each: fresh ginger and chilli with the courgettes
- A handful of greenery (herbs, spinach, kale...), finely chopped
- ½ to 1 mug of plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
- A splash of olive or sunflower oil
Whisk the egg until frothy. Add the grated veg or roughly mash the cooked veg and add it. Mix with the garlic, a good pinch of salt and pepper, your choice of spices and herbs or greens. Dust ½ the flour over and give it a good mix. Add a bit more flour if the mix still looks quite wet.
Place a bit of flour into a shallow bowl or plate. Scoop up your veg mix into golf ball-sized spoonfuls. Press - let them flatten out when you do this - into the flour to lightly coat. Fry each fritter in a bit of oil until golden on each side. Serve with yogurt or our yummy red chilli jam.
*You turn all sorts of veggies into fritters. There are two different ways of preparing them for the fritter batter: coarsely grated (this works well with carrots, parsnips, courgettes and potatoes) or pan-fried or steamed until just tender (peeled and diced swede or cauliflower florets).
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Prep time: 15-20 mins
Cooking time: 20-30 mins
Serves 2-4
- A jar of tomato pasta sauce, or make your own*
- 2-3 courgettes
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- A lemon
- A good-sized hunk of parmesan
- A few handfuls of fresh basil
- Two balls of fresh mozzarella
- A handful of pinenuts (optional)
- Olive Oil
Dollop a few spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of a lasagne dish. Top with overlapping ribbons of courgette (use your veg peeler).
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest. Scatter with grated parmesan and basil and torn mozzarella. Repeat. Repeat again, but skip the courgettes. Top with pinenuts. Season. Bake in a 180°C/Gas 4 oven until golden, 20-30 mins.
*Fry finely diced onion in olive oil till tender. Add two or three chopped garlic cloves. Season. Sizzle for a mo. Add a tin of tomatoes, bubble it for a few mins. Add a glug of balsamic vinegar. Bubble again. Fold in fresh herbs.
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