Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan and add 1 1/2 lbs. lightly cooked asparagus cut in 1 inch pieces on the diagonal and 6 ounces of ham cut into cubes. Heat and sizzle in the butter for a minute. At the same time cook 1 lb. of macaroni or small penne in boiling salted water until al dente. Add 1 cup cream to the asparagus mixture; heat until it's hot. When you drain the pasta save a cup of water from the pot.

Now add the drained pasta to the sauté pan and heat the whole mixture for a minute or so. Add some of the reserved pasta water if it looks too dry. Toss with 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, add a little salt and pepper to taste if you want, and serve with a bowl of cheese on the side.

If you add other lightly cooked spring vegetables to the butter with the asparagus (and you would cut back on the amount of asparagus in that case) this becomes Pasta Primavera, and leave out the ham if you wish. The important technique is to mix the cooked pasta with the sauce for a minute or so, so that the pasta absorbs the flavor of the sauce. This is equally important when you are using a tomato based sauce.