Grilled courgettes with agrodolce

Portion size: Serves 6 as a side
Prep time 15 min. Cook time 20 min
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Gluten-free

Vegan

Emily Gussin

Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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Drizzle grilled courgettes with sweet and sour agrodolce sauce in this easy summer recipe. This flexible dish is a great way to use up a courgette glut.

Versatile recipe: Pile these sweet and sour courgettes onto toast, enjoy them as part of a mezze or serve as a barbecue side. They add a peppy kick of Italian tang to anything and everything!
Italian favourite: Agrodolce is a sticky, intense sweet-and-sour Italian sauce. It goes fabulously with griddled courgettes.
Free-from option: This summery side is vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, so it’s a perfect dish if you’re catering for different dietary requirements.

Make the most of summer’s sensational produce with more July seasonal recipes.

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Ingredients

3 medium courgettes, cut into thick coins
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey or date syrup
2 tbsp sultanas or raisins
1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

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Method

Heat a large griddle pan over a medium-high heat (or fire up the barbecue). Put the courgettes in a bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil, season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Cook for 5-8 minutes on each side (in batches if needed) until charred and tender (it will take less time on a barbecue than in a pan as it will be much hotter).
Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes until golden (if you’re barbecuing the courgettes you could brown the pine nuts in a tray or pan on the grill). Add the remaining 3 tbsp oil and, once warm, add the shallot, chilli and garlic. Cook for about 4 minutes until softened, stirring regularly. Add the vinegar, honey/syrup, sultanas/raisins and capers, then simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the courgettes on a serving plate and pour over the warm agrodolce. Serve warm or keep in a container in the fridge to use later (up to 3 days). The longer you leave it the more the courgette will soak up the flavours, but if taking from the fridge, let them come back to room temperature before eating.
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