Snap any
woody ends from the asparagus and discard them. Peel the bottom half of
each spear if the skin is very thick. Plunge the asparagus spears into a
saucepan of boiling water and cook them for 2-3 minutes, or until the
asparagus is bright-green and just tender. Drain and place on serving
plates. Drizzle with a little melted butter. Top with Parmesan shavings
and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
Note : You
can use green, purple or white asparagus for this recipe, or a
combination. Lightly toasted, crushed hazelnuts or pecan nuts are
delicious sprinkled over the top.