We wait all year for this delicate springtime classic

British asparagus season lasts about five seconds, and people wait all year for it. It arrives in spring, appears on every decent restaurant menu, then vanishes again before summer even gets started.

The season usually runs from late April until around the summer solstice, which gives asparagus the same scarcity appeal as wild garlic. It’s limited, so you know you need to make the most of it while you can.

British asparagus also tastes completely different when it’s fresh. The stalks are sweeter, softer and more delicate than imported versions that spend days travelling. Treat it gently.

If you’ve bought a bundle and aren’t sure where to start, these are some of the best asparagus recipes to try before the season disappears for another year.

Asparagus, parmesan and poached egg on toast

This is a really tasty and pretty easy asparagus lunch to knock together, and it tastest amazing. Especially when the egg yolk oozes over everything.

Toast some good sourdough, add shaved parmesan, pile over grilled asparagus and top with a poached egg. Finish with black pepper, good salt, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Roasted asparagus with burrata and tomatoes

If you want something that feels slightly more lunch with friends, or even dinner party starter, this works brilliantly.

Roast the asparagus for around 8 minutes with olive oil and sea salt. Add it to a plate with burrata, cherry tomatoes and basil, then drizzle with balsamic or hot honey.

It looks impressive, takes almost no effort, and works well with chilled white wine.

Creamy asparagus pasta

Asparagus and pasta work together for the same reason peas and pasta do. Green freshness cuts through the carby richness.

Cook chopped asparagus for the final few minutes of the pasta cooking time, then stir through crème fraîche, parmesan, lemon zest and black pepper.

You can add pancetta if you want a bit more bite, but it’s just as good without.

Asparagus and goat’s cheese tart

This is a winner if you’ve got people coming over and want something that looks far more complicated than it really is.

Use ready-made puff pastry, spread over heaps of soft goat’s cheese, then arrange asparagus spears across the top. Brush with olive oil and bake until golden.

Serve warm with a tomato salad and cold white wine.

Chargrilled asparagus with butter and sea salt

Honestly, this might just be the best way to eat it. Throw asparagus onto a hot griddle pan or barbecue for a few minutes until lightly charred. Add butter, flaky sea salt and maybe a little lemon.

That’s all.

Asparagus risotto

Risotto gets a bad rep for being fiddly, but it’s worth making at least once during asparagus season. And it’s really not that difficult. Just don’t stir it too much.

The creaminess works perfectly with the slight bite of fresh asparagus. Add parmesan, white wine and a little lemon at the end to keep it bright rather than heavy.

If you want to make it feel more luxurious, scallops work beautifully with it too. Actually drooling here.

Asparagus with hollandaise

There’s a reason restaurants serve this combination on rotation. Steamed asparagus with warm hollandaise sauce feels properly old-school. It’s simple, rich and very 1970s British springtime.

Add poached salmon or new potatoes and you’ve got an easy dinner.

Don’t overcook it

The biggest mistake people make with asparagus is cooking it for too long. Fresh asparagus only needs a few minutes; you still want a bit of bite to it. Once it goes limp and grey-green, the magic disappears.

And don’t throw away the thicker woody ends – use them in stock.

Part of the appeal of asparagus is that it doesn’t hang around all year. A few weeks from now, everyone will have moved onto strawberries, peas and elderflower cocktails instead.

Right now though, asparagus is having its moment. Get involved.