Trim the bases from the asparagus. If the asparagus is large and/or the skin seems thick, peel the bottom few inches of skin from the stalk. Prepare a large bowl of ice water if you are going to chill the asparagus after cooking.
Method 1:
Place an inch of salted water in a large pot, big enough for the asparagus to lie flat in. If your pot isn’t large enough to fit the asparagus in a horizontal layer, that’s ok, as long as there is enough room for the asparagus to fit into the pot with the lid tightly placed on top.
Once the water has come to a boil, place the asparagus in the pot no more than a few layers deep and cover the pot. Return the water to a simmer. When the asparagus is cooked to your liking (see chart above), drain the asparagus.
Either serve the asparagus warm or cool in a bowl of ice water if you plan to serve the asparagus cold.
Method 2:
Fill a pot with a steamer basket insert and a lid with an inch or two of water. Fit the steamer basket on top, and bring the water to a boil.
Place the asparagus in the basket no more than a few layers deep, cover the pot tightly, and steam for the desired length of time. When the asparagus is cooked to your liking (see chart above), drain the asparagus and either serve warm or cool in a bowl of ice water if you plan to serve the asparagus cold.
Notes
Steamed asparagus can be stored for 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.