An easy way is to roast it. This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking:
Preheat your oven to 500 and snap off the tough ends of the asparagus (when you bend it, it will naturally snap at the right place). Put the asparagus spears in a shallow baking dish and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, and toss to coat. Roast until tender but slightly firm, 8 to 10 minutes, and then sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste, along with more extra virgin olive oil if you like. Add two tablespoons of minced fresh parsley, tarragon, and/or chives. Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges as garnish.
you can also toss them in a frying pan with some lemon juice and lots of garlic (this is how we usually have them)
blanching them is also good. Set a pot of water to boil and get a big bowl of ice water. Put the asparagus in the boiling water for like, 2 minutes- they'll turn BRIGHT green- then immediatelly take them out and put them in the ice water. Soooo good dipped into a little homemade mayo.( Also really good on a grilled cheese made with ham and gruiere (sp) with a little good mustard.)
We like ours steamed - they only take about 3 minutes and come out cooked but not mushy. I hate mushy asparagus! Then I usually do a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
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Elle wrote: We like ours steamed - they only take about 3 minutes and come out cooked but not mushy. I hate mushy asparagus! Then I usually do a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
Thanks ladies! My mouth is watering I could eat tons of asparaguses right now This gives me a couple of different ways to cook it, Iam going to steam it this go around but try the other ways next time
I like it from a hot pan that's been covered. The water content kinda steams it while it gets slightly blacken on the outside. I toss in a little grill seasoning.
Then once it's done (just a few minutes) I drizzle on a little creamy Caesar dressing, some shaved parmasan and some toasted pine nuts. It's so yummy!
Elle wrote: We like ours steamed - they only take about 3 minutes and come out cooked but not mushy. I hate mushy asparagus! Then I usually do a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
ditto! except i pull mine out early when they are still a little crunchy and leave FH's on because he likes them mushy!!
I know I'm late, but I'm surprised no one else said broiling. I lay the spears on a cookie sheet, spray with olive oil, grind on some salt and pepper, toss a bit, and stick them under the broiler. It takes a bit longer than you think, and it's good to flip them via tongs after five minutes or so, but I wouldn't cook them any other way except on the grill - flavor-wise, it's the exact same.