If you've got fresh courgettes to use up, this easy courgette and tomato recipe is one of the simplest and healthiest ways to cook them. Tender courgettes are simmered in a rich tomato sauce with garlic, onions and herbs to make a versatile Mediterranean-style dish that goes with almost anything. Courgettes in tomato sauce is a delicious way to make the most of courgettes when they're in season. It's naturally vegan, gluten-free, low-calorie and a brilliant side dish for making the most of a summer glut of courgettes.
At a glance
Recipe Summary: Healthy courgettes in tomato sauce
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Key ingredients: Courgettes, canned tomatoes, onions
Nutritional highlights: A healthy Mediterranean-style recipe with healthy fats, fibre and antioxidants
Allergy info: Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan
Convenience: Quick and easy to make, great for meal prep and freezing
This is one of my favourite recipes during the courgette season, and I've been making it for many years. It's a great way to use up courgettes, and I nearly always have the rest of the ingredients in the store cupboard. The rich, herby tomato sauce infuses the courgettes with plenty of flavour, and I store it in the fridge, then use it to transform a few leftovers into a tasty meal. It's also the best freezable courgette recipe I know!
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What you'll love about this courgette and tomato recipe
- The rich tomato sauce is a great way to add extra flavour to courgettes, and you can enhance it further with your favourite herbs. Courgettes are a bit like a sponge and will happily take on other flavours
- Courgettes - especially large ones- can be a little watery. In this courgette and tomato recipe, excess liquid will evaporate in the cooking process
- Some courgette recipes use a lot of oil because they can soak up a lot of it during cooking. This healthy recipe has just 1 tablespoon of olive oil which makes it lower in calories
Ingredients
A full list of ingredients along with metric and US measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Courgettes are a type of summer squash, and are related to cucumbers and melons. They are low in calories as quite a lot of their mass of made up of water. Despite this high water content, they are still rich in vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds. They are also a good source of fibre which benefits your digestion and blood sugar levels.
If you've got a glut of courgettes, this post has lots of different ways to cook courgettes with recipes and tips.
Canned tomatoes are also very valuable to your health. Lycopene is a particular type of antioxidant which has been show to reduce the risks of certain types of cancer. Cooked tomatoes are one of the richest sources of lycopene. Tomato puree adds more richness and depth of flavour.
This courgette and tomato recipe also contains olive oil, garlic and herbs. All of these are a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which has been show to have numerous health benefits. (See more about the Mediterranean diet here)
Feel free to switch the herbs in the recipe. A handful of torn basil leaves would work instead of the thyme. Oregano or rosemary are also delicious alternatives.
Or if you prefer, use a teaspoon of dried herbs. If you use dried thyme instead of fresh, cut the quantity down to 1 teaspoon, otherwise the flavour will be too overpowering.
You can either use red or white onions in this recipe.
Or maybe you'd like to add some peppers and aubergine at the same time as the courgettes to transform this into a quick ratatouille recipe. A handful of olives would also add an extra Mediterranean twist.
How to make healthy courgettes in tomato sauce
Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan. Later in the recipe, you'll need to cover the pan, but if you don't have a frying pan with a lid, you can pop a baking sheet on the pan.
Fry the onions for 5 minutes. They should be starting to caramelise and turn slightly brown, which adds more flavour.
Add the garlic and courgettes and fry for a further 5 minutes. The moisture from the courgettes will stop the garlic from browning which can make it taste a little bitter.
Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs, seasoning and a tablespoon of water. If you are using fresh basil, add it at the end of the recipe to retain its fresh flavour and vibrant colour. Stir the courgette and tomato mix together.
Cover the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir once or twice and add a splash more water if the mixture is starting to look a little dry.
Recipe tips
If you grow your own courgettes, you can also make this recipe when they are a bit overgrown. At the end of the season, I usually let a couple of my courgettes grow into marrows, as they store much better than courgettes. The marrows work perfectly well in this recipe.
Serving suggestions and storage tips
This courgette and tomato stew is a great side dish to turn a simple piece of meat or fish into a delicious meal as it adds sauce as well as 2 portions of vegetables.
For an easy low-carb meal, serve lentil or turkey burgers or a piece of grilled chicken alongside courgettes in tomato sauce.
It's also lovely with roast meats or a simple piece of white fish. Or add a can of white beans to turn the dish into a quick, healthy courgette stew.
Of course, this healthy courgette and tomato recipe also makes an easy accompaniment to pasta, gnocchi or a baked potato.
Zucchini in tomato sauce is great for meal prep. You can prepare it ahead of time, and store it in the fridge for a few days. It's one of those recipes which tastes even nicer the following day when the flavours have melded together.
Just heat it through in a pan when you are ready to eat.
This easy, tasty courgette and tomato recipe also freezes very well, so stock up whilst they are in season. This is my go-to recipe for freezing courgettes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if you prefer, you can make courgettes in tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes. Dice 400g of tomatoes and use them in place of the canned tomatoes as above. You might need to add a little more water to stop the sauce catching on the pan, so keep an eye on it. You'll get a slightly different texture with fresh tomatoes, but it's still delicious.
Yes, you can use a 400g jar of passata in place of canned tomatoes. I prefer the recipe made with whole tomatoes, as it has a little more texture, but if you've only got passata, that works too.
I never peel courgettes. Leaving them unpeeled means they are higher in fibre, vitamins and minerals. The skin on courgettes is fairly soft, so it shouldn't be a problem as you eat it. If you decide to make courgettes and tomatoes with a large marrow, you might want to peel if first as the skin is a lot thicker and tougher.
Yes, this courgette and tomato recipe freezes very well. It's my go-to recipe for freezing courgettes as it's such a versatile side dish to have in the freezer. Pop the finished recipe in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can defrost it either in the microwave, in a pan on the stove or overnight in the fridge.
Other healthy courgette recipes
When they are in season, and you are looking for the best ways to cook courgettes, you might also like these other healthy recipes and side dishes.
If your courgettes have turned into marrows, you could also try this marrow soup, or marrow curry which adds flavour to what can sometimes be a rather tasteless and watery vegetable.
Did you know you can also add courgettes to your baking? You can't taste them, but they add a lovely moistness. Why not try these chocolate courgette muffins, cheese and courgette muffins or courgette and apple cake?
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Recipe
Healthy Courgette and Tomato Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, red or white peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and very finely chopped
- 2 large courgettes washed and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- pinch salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Fry the onion in the olive oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until it turns golden.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, red or white
- Add the garlic and courgettes and fry for a further 5 minutes.1 clove garlic, 2 large courgettes
- Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, seasoning and herbs, along with 1 tablespoon of water. Mix together.400 g canned chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato puree, pinch salt and pepper, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- Cover the pan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Give it a stir once or twice and if necessary, add a splash more water to stop the courgettes and tomatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Notes
- If you want to use dried thyme in place of fresh, use only 1 teaspoon as it is much stronger
- You can also use other herbs if you prefer. Add basil at the end of cooking so that it retains its fresh flavour and colour
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
C Ware says
Great recipe. I am using it as a basis for sauces so freezing with the glut of courgettes. Love this recipe, Ty.
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you, I'm so glad it was helpful!
Neil says
Substituted thyme with fresh basil and heavenly x
Wendy says
Thank you, great idea:)
Mrs J. says
We really enjoyed this thank you.
Wendy says
You are very welcome, thanks for your comment.