Forget chunks of bland ratatouille vegetables, courgettes are incredibly versatile, delicious shaved into salads, grated into cheesy fritters, baked into pasta traybakes or frittatas, and don’t forget their flowers stuffed with oozy ricotta. At their best during the summer and early autumn months, these delicately flavoured veggies are well worth enjoying. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite summery courgette recipes from Ottolenghi and Nigella, Jamie Oliver and Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman to name a few.
Mary Berry’s Tiger Prawn and Coriander Courgetti
For a lighter alternative to pasta, look no further than this recipe for spiralised courgettes by Mary Berry. The vibrant flavours of fresh coriander and red chilli make it the perfect summer dinner.
Air Fryer Courgette and Sweetcorn Fritters with Sesame Sauce
Light and crispy, with a deliciously savoury dipping sauce, these vegan fritters are a must-try for your next weekend brunch.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Courgette and Ciabatta Frittata
An extra light and fluffy frittata, made by soaking ciabatta in milk and cream and teamed with with cumin and basil courgettes. Luxurious enough for a weekend brunch or an any-night dinner.
Yellow and Green Courgettes with Feta, Mint and Almonds
This is an incredibly easy salad or side and a lovely way to champion both green and yellow courgettes. Shaving your courgettes into ribbons or very finely slicing them into rounds and leaving them to soften and ‘cook’ in lemon juice and olive oil is a great way to eat courgettes raw. Serve just as it is with bread or as a side to chicken or fish.
Roasted Aubergine, Courgette and Macaroni Bake
A comforting dish, this traybake dinner with roasted courgettes, aubergine, creamy Boursin cheese and macaroni pasta is a good family all-rounder for midweek.
Pasta with Courgettes
‘This is one of my favourite pastas’, says Nigella who braises the courgettes with wine and parsley until sweet and gorgeously tender. Don’t be put off by the notion of braising – this takes about 15 minutes to prepare all in all.
Griddled Courgette with Parmesan, Almonds and Lemon
Ideal for barbecue season, this recipe for perfectly charred courgette slices requires just a handful of ingredients to make.
Lemon Courgette Linguine
Courgettes are good friends with the sharp zing of lemon, the umami savour of Parmesan and fresh, sweet mint. Here Jamie has paired them with pasta in this five ingredient weeknight dinner.
Deep-Fried Courgette Flowers Stuffed with Ricotta and Herbs
Stuffed with ricotta and herbs and fried in a light batter, this creamy, luxurious starter is a classic Italian way of serving delicate courgette flowers. Courgette flowers wilt quickly so they can be tricky to get hold of although they are becoming more widely available. If you grow your own, then this is the perfect way to use them.
Tian Provençal (Provençal Vegetable Bake)
This pretty dish consists of thin rounds of courgette, aubergine and tomatoes, arranged on sweet thyme onions, and baked in the oven. Enjoy with buttery potatoes.
