Diana Henry's Tenderstem broccoli with ricotta, lemon & shaved parmesan

Diana says: 'One of the great things about Tenderstem broccoli is that it's easy to dress up. Steam or boil it and you have the makings of a chic salad or starter, and one that's healthy too. It's an elegant vegetable. I often use it in dishes instead of asparagus. Tenderstem has a delicate, slightly sweet flavour so it's great with muted ingredients such as ricotta and positively sings when dressed with a good fruity extra virgin olive oil. It's also quick to cook so this starter can be on the table 5 minutes after your guests arrive.'

• Preparation: 5 mins
• Cooking: 5 mins
• Serves: 4

What you need:

• 300g Tenderstem broccoli
• 175g fresh ricotta
• zest of 1/2 lemon, removed with a zester rather than grated
• juice 1 lemon
• about 8 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 50g Parmesan
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you do:

1. Steam the Tenderstem for 3-4 minutes until just tender.
2. While the Tenderstem is cooking gently break the ricotta into lumps and shave the parmesan into nice curls.
3. Put the hot Tenderstem onto plates and dot ricotta over the top. Sprinkle on the zest and spoon on some lemon juice. Scatter the parmesan over each serving. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, grind on some black pepper and serve.

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