Courgette Carpaccio Recipe with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Last updated on October 13th, 2026
Courgette carpaccio is raw courgette (zucchini) peeled into long, thin ribbons, cured for 10 minutes in lemon juice and a little salt, then tossed with toasted pine nuts and thyme and topped with shaved Parmesan. There is no cooking, it takes 15 minutes, and it works as a light starter or a side. It is one of three recipes in my courgette video, and you can find the other two in Bland to Brilliant: Courgettes 3 Ways.
What Is Courgette Carpaccio?
Courgette carpaccio is a raw starter made from courgettes peeled into thin ribbons. A short cure in lemon juice and salt softens them slightly, and they are finished with pine nuts, thyme, olive oil and shaved Parmesan. The result is fresh, light and quick, with raw courgette as the star.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Full quantities are in the recipe card below. Here is what each ingredient does.
- Courgettes: two large ones. Larger courgettes give you wider ribbons.
- Lemon: half a lemon does the curing. Any acid you like the flavour of works, such as vinegar or lime juice.
- Salt: a little, not too much.
- Pine nuts and thyme: 40 g of toasted pine nuts and a dessert spoon of fresh thyme leaves.
- Olive oil and black pepper: a touch of good olive oil and a few twists of cracked black pepper.
- Parmesan: shaved on top. Pecorino, feta or crumbled goat’s cheese also work. Anything with some saltiness and tang will suit.
How to Make Courgette Carpaccio
Peel the ribbons
Use a vegetable peeler and peel until the ribbons are as wide as the blade. Turn the courgette and repeat. On a large courgette that gives you about six edges. Stop when you reach the middle and start to see seeds.
Cure them
Do this 10 or 15 minutes before you want to eat. Add a little salt and the juice of half a lemon, then mix gently by hand until every ribbon is coated with no dry patches. Leave it for 10 minutes and let the lemon juice do its work.
Finish and serve
Add the thyme, toasted pine nuts, a few twists of black pepper and a touch of olive oil, and mix well by hand again. Serve topped with shaved Parmesan.
Tips for the Best Courgette Carpaccio
- Use a peeler, not a mandolin. Long slices like these are very unsafe cuts to make on a mandolin, and using the guard ruins the edges of the courgette.
- Leave the seedy centre out. The texture turns very mushy after curing, so save those parts for another recipe.
- Mix with your hands. Tongs and spoons do not coat the ribbons well enough, and they bruise and break them.
- Keep the salt light. The curing is quick, so you only need a little.
If you want a crunchier version with seeds and fresh herbs, try my courgette and sunflower seed salad. The other two recipes from the same video are my courgette fritters and my grilled courgettes with chimichurri.
Courgette Carpaccio Recipe with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Equipment
- Vegetable peeler
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Digital scales
Ingredients
- 2 x courgettes
- 1/2 a lemon
- Salt a small pinch
- Dessert spoon of fresh thyme leaves
- 40 g / 1.5 oz pine nuts toasted
- Cracked black pepper a few twists
- Olive oil
- Parmesan shaved
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave long ribbons from large courgettes.
- Peel from one side until the ribbons are as wide as your peeler blade.
- Rotate the courgette and repeat until you’ve made about six flat edges.
- Stop peeling once you reach the seed-filled core. The centre is too soft and will become mushy after curing.
- Save the cores for another recipe.
- To cure the courgette ribbons, place the ribbons in a large bowl.
- About 10 to 15 minutes before serving, season with a small pinch of salt (don’t overdo it) and the juice of half a lemon (or another acid like vinegar or lime juice).
- Gently toss the ribbons by hand to ensure they’re evenly coated. Avoid using tongs or spoons to prevent bruising the delicate slices.
- Leave the mixture to sit for 10 minutes so the lemon juice can slightly soften and flavour the courgette.
Add the following to the bowl:
- 40g toasted pine nuts
- 1 dessert spoon of fresh thyme leaves
- A few twists of cracked black pepper
- A drizzle of good olive oil
- Gently mix again by hand to combine all ingredients.
Plate and garnish:
- Serve the carpaccio topped with shaved Parmesan.
- Optional: Swap Parmesan with pecorino, feta, or crumbled goat’s cheese if preferred.
Video
Nutrition
[bg-nutrition-label id=”8678″]
