The arrival of the season's first asparagus deserves a recipe that honours it without burying it in additional ingredients. This pasta is the kind of dish that does not require a long preparation but that, when the timing is right, produces the cumulative effect that good cooking aims for.

What you need

For two people: one bunch of thin asparagus, trimmed and cut on a sharp angle into roughly two-inch pieces; a generous cup of fresh peas (or frozen, defrosted); 250 grams of dry pasta (preferably a long shape); a generous block of pecorino Romano; black pepper; lemon; olive oil; salt.

The technique

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to a minute short of the package's al dente time. While the pasta cooks, heat a wide pan with a generous pour of olive oil; add the asparagus pieces and a pinch of salt; cook for about three minutes until just tender. Add the peas in the last minute. Add a generous grind of black pepper.

The finish

Transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the pan with the vegetables, using tongs and bringing along about a half-cup of starchy pasta water. Toss vigorously, adding a generous handful of grated pecorino as you toss. The pasta water and the cheese should emulsify into a light, glossy sauce that coats the pasta and the vegetables.

The seasoning

Finish with a substantial squeeze of lemon, a final grind of pepper, and another handful of pecorino. Taste; adjust with salt or lemon as needed. The goal is balance among the salt of the cheese, the brightness of the lemon, the bite of the pepper, and the underlying sweetness of the spring vegetables.

What to serve with it

A glass of restrained Italian white — a Vermentino, a Falanghina — rather than something more aggressive. A small green salad on the side, dressed with olive oil and lemon. The dish does not need much else.

The point

The point of the recipe is that good ingredients, treated with restraint, produce the kind of cooking that justifies the season. The technique is straightforward; the result is the kind of weeknight dish that the practice rewards.