Heat does wonders for courgette, but it’s also delicious raw

If you’ve ever grown courgettes, then you’ll already have a few ideas of how to use them. By the end of summer, there is usually quite a glut. Luckily, there are so many ways to use them if you do have a bumper harvest. The classic dishes such as ratatouille and courgette fritters are always good. You can also grate it and use it in a chocolate cake, similar to the way one makes a carrot cake. I love thickly slicing it and frying in a little ‘nduja, or cutting it in half horizontally, scoring the cut surface, brushing with oil and cooking on a barbecue.

Heat does wonders for courgette but it’s also delicious raw. For this simple salad, I just mixed the raw courgette ribbons with lemon juice and oil, then seasoned them well. The salty Parmesan and crunchy hazelnuts provide all the textural interest while the citrus is the perfect balance to the creamy green sauce.

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The peas are sweet and delicious here, but you could also use spinach. Avocado also works very well to make a creamy, vegan pasta sauce and can be used in place of the mascarpone, with a vegan Parmesan substitute.

I’ve used fresh orecchiette here. I wanted something quite small for this summer pasta dish. This pasta is fun and perfect for the sauce. An orecchietta is in the shape of a small dome, the centre is slightly thinner than the edges and it has a rough surface that’s ideal for clinging on to sauces. Orecchiette contains no egg, just durum wheat and water.

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If you are growing your own courgettes this summer, make sure to pick them while they’re quite small and full of flavour. The beautiful yellow flowers are also edible and can be filled with a ricotta cheese mix, dipped in a light tempura-style batter and fried. A delicious Italian delicacy.

Recipe: Pea and mascarpone orecchiette with courgette

Lilly’s Kitchen Tips

1. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water in case you need to loosen up the sauce. Add a little of the starchy water at a time. Remember though that this is salted so season the sauce after you get the consistency right.

2. If you’re growing your own herbs, basil can be a little temperamental. Oregano on the other hand is quite hardy and grows easily outside. It can be used in many of the same dishes where basil is required. Hang bunches upside down in an airy place to dry then use all year round.

3. The slicing blade on a food processor or a mandoline are ideal for thinly slicing vegetables, but a good kitchen peeler also does the trick.