Courgette carpaccio
A summer Italian starter that shows how good raw courgette can be. Paper-thin slices marinated in lemon juice and good olive oil, with shavings of Parmesan, toasted pine nuts and mint. The lemon juice softens the slices slightly, but the courgette keeps its bite. The dish needs small, firm courgettes with thin skin and tiny seeds — large ones are watery and have tough seeds. Ready in half an hour, with no cooking.
Your own work in that: 5 min.
- Slicing 10 min
- Toasting the pine nuts 5 min
- Marinating 10 min
- Serving 5 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSlice the courgettes
Wash the courgettes, trim the ends and taste a tiny piece of each — do not use any that is distinctly bitter. Slice the courgettes on a mandoline or with a peeler 1–2 mm thick — lengthwise into wide ribbons or across into rounds.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Paper-thin — a mandoline makes it easy.Arrange on a plate
Lay the slices on a large flat plate, slightly overlapping, in a single layer.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Toast the pine nuts
Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan 3–4 minutes, shaking, until golden. Tip them into a small bowl at once, as they burn quickly in the hot pan.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Golden, not brown — tip them out straight away.Make the dressing
Mix the lemon juice with the olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Marinate
Spoon the dressing over the courgette and leave 10 minutes. The lemon softens the slices and the oil soaks in.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Add the Parmesan
Shave the Parmesan with a peeler straight over the courgette.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Parmesan shaved with a peeler — thin and brittle.Scatter pine nuts and mint
Scatter with the pine nuts, torn mint leaves, grated lemon zest and flaky salt.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Serve at once
Serve at once, with bread. Left longer, the courgette releases juice and loses its crunch.
Ingredients: 3 pcs small, firm courgettes · 1 pcs lemon (juice and grated zest) · 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil · 40 g Parmesan in a piece · 30 g pine nuts · 12 pcs mint leaves · ½ tsp flaky salt · ¼ tsp black pepper
Before you start
Colourful
Combine green and yellow courgettes — the plate looks more striking and the flavour stays the same.
Variations
Pecorino or crumbled feta work instead of Parmesan, and basil instead of mint. A handful of rocket turns the starter into a light lunch.
Choosing courgettes
Choose courgettes up to 20 cm long, firm and shiny. If a raw courgette tastes distinctly bitter, do not eat or cook it — bitterness signals raised cucurbitacins, which can cause poisoning (vomiting, diarrhoea), and cooking does not destroy them. It is rare, and more common with home-grown courgettes, especially from saved seed. Spit out the bitter test piece.
