Serves 4

In season from January to April, purple sprouting broccoli makes a welcome change to all the root vegetables and brassicas of the winter months. It only requires light cooking, such as blanching or steaming, and is best enjoyed simply with chicken and fish dishes or tossed through pasta and stir-fries. 

400g purple sprouting broccoli stems, trimmed
400g dried linguine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
200g soft goat’s cheese with a firm rind, cut into cubes
Handful of fresh oregano leaves
Finely grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

1 First steam the broccoli for 3-4 minutes until tender. If not using straightaway, refresh in cold water, then drain and pat completely dry with kitchen paper.

2 Boil the pasta in a large pan of salted water until al dente. Reserving a little of the cooking water in the pan, drain the pasta into a colander. Return the pan to the heat and add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and half the lemon zest.

3 Toss through the linguine, broccoli, goat’s cheese and half the oregano. Pile the pasta on to warmed plates and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest and oregano leaves. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with Parmesan, if using, and serve immediately.

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