Saute Asparagus On The Stove. For sauteing asparagus on the stove, select tender spears having uniform thickness. Sauteing asparagus gives you the best of both worlds, producing a stalk that has the crunchy bite of steaming Who needs an oven to cook asparagus?

There is no need to peel the hard skin and leaves on the stems. Trim the asparagus so they will fit inside a large pan. For these photos, I decked out my asparagus with lemon, mint, red pepper flakes and the lightest shaving of Parmesan.

Preheat the pan until it is very hot — this is key, said Walsh.

There is no need to peel the hard skin and leaves on the stems.

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The goal of cooking asparagus it to get it to a tender-crisp state, at which it is soft enough to chew but not yet soggy. Here, we give you a primer on the myriad Asparagus is a versatile spring vegetable that can be cooked however your heart desires.