The asparagus must be bought fresh, ensuring the tips are intact and completely closed. Asparagus is usually boiled or steamed; since the tips are more delicate than the stems, it is common practice – if you do not have a special saucepan or a steamer – to tie them in a bundle and cook them upright with the tips out of the boiling water. Alternatively, you can add the tips after the stems.

Asparagus is typically combined with egg, either fried or boiled or even in an omelet; a typical Milanese recipe is fried egg served with boiled asparagus in butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, and parmesan.

A particularly enjoyable combination that turns aromatic asparagus into something precious is its combination with flakes of truffle. Asparagus also goes well with mature cheeses like parmesan, but can also be the protagonist of risotto or pasta.

Try asparagus in flan, rustic tarts, and puff pastries or in the form of cream. It goes well with white and red meats, sausages or crustaceans, as well as with other vegetables, such as artichokes or zucchini, be it as a side dish or to enrich sauces or quiches.