Pasta with Asparagus Lemon Sauce

Description:

Asparagus is now in season here and what a difference local food makes to a dish! Asparagus comes in different grades (large, standard, small) and colors (green, white and purple). Green asparagus, the most common, ranges from pencil-thin to very thick. White asparagus, due to sunlight-deprived stalks, are a little milder and more delicate in taste. Asparagus needs to be cooked quickly to a tender-crisp texture. Steaming should be reserved for only the youngest, most tender asparagus and should be served warm or at room temperature as refrigeration dulls the flavor. It is a member of the lily family and the spears we buy are actually the shoots from an underground crown. It takes up to 3 years for crowns to develop enough to begin producing shoots, but once they do, they can produce for up to 20 years.

Reference:

recipe adapted from Epicurious