Recipe from Dell McAbee

Take your asparagus, and snap the ends so they break off leaving the fibrous stalks behind. Trim the bottoms off neatly with a sharp knife. Lay the asparagus flat in a skillet, fill the skillet with water, and salt the water. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for 4 (this is usually about right) minutes. The timing, of course, depends upon how thick the asparagus are. You can poke a stalk with the point of a small sharp knife or a cake tester to see if it's done, or taste the asparagus as you go along (as you would strands of spaghetti).

Alternatively, remove the pan with the asparagus in it from the heat as soon as it comes to a boil, clap a lid on the pan, and let it sit for 8 minutes.