I like noodles as a vehicle for sauce or vegetables, so excuse me while I muck up a good thing. I do the same sort of thing with roasted cauliflower and a couple anchovies in place of the capers, or a few summer tomatoes chopped up and just broken down in the hot oil before adding the noodles.

Much like cacio e pepe, the goal here is to make a sauce from the pasta water and the cheese. You’ll want to keep tossing, and add in more water until it becomes silky. It may glob up a bit, but once the cheese relaxes into the warm liquid, you’ll get a sauce. And hey, even cheese globs are still delicious. If your asparagus is on the thicker side, slice them in half lengthwise.

I typically serve small portions of this with a big green salad or even a whole roasted chicken if I’m filling out a meal for company.