The best way to cook courgettes elegantly is to ensure that you don’t overpower their flavour and texture, but instead let their delicate flavour and silky texture shine through. For a sophisticated approach to courgette recipes, try blanching and shocking this colourful ingredient. Add the courgettes to boiling salted water for as little as one to two minutes. Plunge straight away into iced water to stop the courgettes cooking further. Drizzle with a touch of lemon-infused olive oil for an easy and delicate way to serve courgettes or to add to your chosen recipe.
Grilled, sautéed, or roasted
Courgettes are a versatile ingredient to have in the kitchen and can be cooked in a variety of different ways. To grill courgettes, simply slice lengthwise, brush with a dash of olive oil, then season and grill for around two minutes on each side. Serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest to brighten the flavours and enjoy as part of a tasty barbecue with friends and family. When grilling courgettes, aim to create a light charring on the flesh of the courgette to add a sensationally smoky element to the dish.
Sautéeing is another quick and easy method for cooking courgettes. In a frying pan over a medium heat, add a small knob of unsalted butter. Once it’s melted, add the courgettes, diced. Sautée for around five minutes until the courgettes start to turn lightly golden, whilst retaining a crisp structure. Add to your recipe or enjoy as a side dish with a twist of black pepper and few shavings of parmesan.
Lastly, you can roast courgettes for a deep flavour. Add diced courgettes to an oven-proof dish, and coat with olive oil, then season with salt, black pepper and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Roast at 200°C for 10 minutes, until the courgettes have started to turn golden.
Raw and marinated preparations
When preparing courgettes, especially for raw dishes, wash the fruit thoroughly before eating. Raw courgettes can be added to salads as an elegant addition as ribbons. Use a vegetable peeler to create attractive ribbon-style pieces that can be beautifully arranged on a salad plate.
You can also marinate the raw courgette ribbons as desired. Use a basic marinade featuring olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, salt and black pepper. Transfer the ribbons to the marinade bowl, and let them rest in the fridge for up to two hours. This will give you an even more flavourful addition for your salads and pasta dishes.
Seasonal courgette recipe ideas
In spring and early summer, when courgettes are fresh and light, try using them in a courgette carpaccio. This twist on the traditional dish, made without cured meat, is a tasty vegetarian alternative to experiment with. Marinate thinly sliced courgette rounds in olive oil and lemon first, before assembling on a plate to resemble carpaccio.
At the height of summer, grilled courgette recipes are a brilliant excuse to throw a barbecue. Try grilling halved courgettes and serving with a veggie burger, or with a selection of classic sides like potato salad.
Courgette soup is a hearty and warming way to enjoy courgettes as the colder months start to draw in. Make this one with an irresistible cream-based soup, and serve with crunchy croutons and a drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil over the top.
Light starters and salads
When considering the best recipes for courgettes, a classic salad has to be on the list. This summer vegetable salad features a refreshing mix of fresh courgettes, garden peas and asparagus to really make the most of the seasonal food on offer.
Courgettes are also perfect for incorporating into tasty canapés. Courgette ribbon roll-ups are a playful way to use this ingredient, and can be stuffed with a variety of flavours, such as lemon-zested ricotta or goat’s cheese.
Sophisticated mains and sides
Courgettes can be used as a refined ingredient to add to your favourite main dishes, such as a lemon pasta or creamy risotto. Courgette and scallop risotto is an elevated main dish to share with friends and family at your next dinner party, offering a balanced yet complex taste profile. You can also create a courgette ribbon pasta-style dish, replacing the pasta with the courgette ribbons, for a lighter alternative. Courgette fries offer a more sophisticated approach to traditional potato-based chips for a fun burger night at home with friends.
Ingredients that pair well with courgettes
Courgettes are mild, slightly sweet and tender. As such, they pair well with ingredients that can enhance the subtle flavours and provide a contrast to the soft texture. Natural herb pairings include basil, mint and parsley. Soft cheeses, such as ricotta, work beautifully with courgettes, whereas hard and nutty options, such as parmesan, bring a new flavour dimension to the plate.
Courgettes also pair brilliantly with tomatoes. Not only do they contrast in colour and texture, but the sharp acidity of the tomato cuts through the mildly sweet flavours of the courgettes. And much like a courgette, a tomato is commonly considered to be a vegetable. However, both of these ingredients are actually fruits, and you can find out more about why this is in our helpful article.
