Springtime pasta with lemony brown butter, artichokes, asparagus and capers

Snap the long malfade in half so it cooks and twirls more easily.

Melt about 3 tbsp butter with a good drizzle of olive oil in a high-sided skillet; bring a pot of water toward a boil.

Halve the artichoke hearts and pat dry on paper towels.

When the butter turns light golden, cook the artichokes cut side down a couple of minutes, without letting the butter burn; remove.

Turn the heat down, add the garlic and a little more butter and oil; cook until light brown and nutty.

Add the capers, the zest of about half a lemon and a few grindings of black pepper; hold on the lowest heat.

Prep the asparagus: keep the top inch of the tips whole, cut the rest on a bias to the size of the tips.

Boil the pasta in well-salted water, pulling it well before the packet's al dente time (about 6 to 7 minutes for a 10-minute pasta).

Add the asparagus to the pasta for the last 30 seconds.

Take about 1.5 cups of the starchy water into the skillet, then drain the pasta into it.

Add the lemon juice and more pasta water as needed, then the artichokes and the parm; toss with tongs 2 to 4 minutes until the liquid turns to a thick sauce and the pasta finishes cooking.

Add parsley if wanted; turn off the heat, finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and more cheese.