Raw courgette ribbons are officially one of my favourite ways to enjoy courgettes. They’re light, fresh, and soak up flavour beautifully—especially when paired with lemon zest, parmesan and buttery pine nuts. This salad is bursting with seasonal ingredients and gut-friendly fibre, making it one of those recipes you’ll want to eat on repeat this summer.
Each bowl is packed with goodness: creamy butter beans for plant protein, pasta to keep you full, toasted pine nuts for crunch, and of course, lots of raw courgette ribbons for hydration and nutrients. It’s satisfying, refreshing and naturally gluten-free if you use GF pasta. If you’re looking for a no-fuss summer salad that’s nourishing, flavourful and truly different—this is it. It’s one of those salads that feel fresh and makes you feel nourished. It makes a great pasta salad to bring at barbecues, everyone will love it!
Why Courgette Ribbons?
Shaving courgettes into thin ribbons completely transforms their texture. Raw courgette can sometimes be bland or spongy when sliced thick, but when shaved, it becomes tender, light, and almost silky—perfect for salads. It also helps the courgettes absorb more flavour from the dressing, making each bite refreshing and satisfying. Plus, eating them raw means you keep all their water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants intact. It’s a super easy way to add extra veg to your day without any cooking! I think it is a game changer, I can t wait for you to give this simple technique a go!
Tips
- Use a wide vegetable peeler or mandoline to get long, even courgette ribbons—thinner slices soak up more flavour and have the best texture.
- Shaved Parmesan cheese: I used the same peeler also shave the Parmesan Cheese, this way you get larger, extra thin slices which add texture and maximise flavour.
- Salt the courgette for at least 10 minutes to draw out excess water—this keeps the salad from going soggy and helps the courgette taste sweeter and more tender.
- Toast your pine nuts in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes until golden. It brings out their natural oils and makes the salad extra fragrant.
- Lemon zest is key—don’t skip it! It adds brightness and ties the salad together.
- Meal prep tip: Keep the dressing separate if you’re storing this for later to prevent the pasta and courgette from becoming too soft.
Swaps
Courgettes: You could use cucumber ribbons instead for a similar texture and refreshing bite, though they will release more water and flavour will be completely different.
Butter beans: Any white bean like cannellini or chickpeas works well here too.
Pasta: I used short-cut pasta, but you can use gluten-free pasta or even leave it out if you want a lighter salad.
Parmesan cheese: Swap with pecorino or a dairy-free alternative if needed.
Pine nuts: Toasted almonds or sunflower seeds make a good budget-friendly or nut-free alternative.
Storage
Fridge: Best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The courgettes will soften a little, but the flavour will still be delicious.
Freezer: Not suitable for freezing.
More Amazing Summer Salads
- Panzanella Salad – Italian Bread Salad
- Peach & Halloumi Summer Salad
- Prawn Mango Salad
- Marks&Spencer Salad Copycat
Courgette Ribbon Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes
- 1 can butter beans 400g (240g drained)
- 150 g pasta (I used fusilli)
- 20-30 g Parmesan cheese, shaved
- handful of toasted pinenuts
Dressing
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- While you prepare and assemble all the salad ingredients cook the pasta in the background.
- With a potato peeler shave the courgettes and add to a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, mix and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. The courgette will “sweat” out some of their water, pat dry with kitchen roll (some of the water is ok to keep for their nutrients and flavour).
- To a large salad bowl add the courgette ribbons, beans, cooked pasta and the rest of the ingredients.
- Season and mix.