Us neither! But with the rising popularity of gluten free and raw food diets, it's becoming increasingly popular and is quote the staple for health conscious eaters.

So, what is courgetti?

Courgetti is thin ribbons of courgette used as a delicious, nutritious alternative to pasta or noodles. Its consistency is similar to spaghetti (hence the name), and tastes fantastic once added to a bolognese or a pesto sauce. It's also a great way to increase your daily vegetable intake and lower your carb consumption.

How to make courgetti

You need a Spiralizer. Similar to a mandoline, the spiralizer uses different sized blades to create thin or thick ribbons of vegetables. The courgette is placed horizontally in the special holding device, and as you turn the handle the blades create perfectly formed spiral strands - like spaghetti, but made of courgette, so 'courgetti'!

If you fancy giving courgetti a go, why not follow this simple Courgetti Bolognese recipe to get you started.

Easy Courgetti Bolognese

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g lean mince (any meat you prefer)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 150g pack button mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 2 vegetable stock cubes
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 large courgettes
  • grated pecorino or Parmesan, to serve
  • handful basil leaves

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the mince. Fry until browned, then scoop into a bowl and set aside.

2. Add the onion to the pan and cook on a low heat for 8-10 mins until tender. Then add the garlic, stirring for 1 min or so, followed by the carrot and the mushrooms, stirring for about 3 mins until softened. Put the mince back into the pan, and add the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Fill one of the tomato cans with water and pour that into the pan. Crumble over the stock cubes and bring to the boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hr, until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender.

3. When the bolognese is nearly ready, stir through the soy sauce and season to taste. Spiralize your courgettes on the smallest noodle attachment. Heat a large frying pan with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and add your courgetti. Cook for 2-3 mins, until slightly softened . Season and serve topped with the bolognese, grated pecorino and basil leaves.

Recipe from BBC Good Food