Featuring asparagus in a robust weeknight pasta dish, this recipe creates a delightful twist to the classic Alfredo. Prepared in just about the same time it takes to boil water for fettuccine, this one-pot affair can be your go-to gourmet recipe on busy evenings. The cast-iron pasta pot will simmer your fettuccine and, with half the cooking time remaining, the cut up asparagus stalks will join in to garnish the dish. The resulting concoction? A plate full of creamy pasta that looks delectably green and tastes like the heart of the spring season.

Pasta Alfredo, the most beloved Italian invention in American food history, is named after its creator, the late Rome-based chef Alfredo Di Lelio. Di Lelio’s original dish contained just butter and parmesan cheese, but on crossing the vast Atlantic, it has added heavy cream to its roster of vital ingredients - another inspired touch from American cuisine.

The recipe that we have enlisted here suggests that you snap off the wooden ends of each asparagus stalk. However, this is neither a universal rule nor a method accepted by all. Culinary experts have their own differing opinions. Regardless of whether you prefer to slice them off, snap them away, or peel them completely, the aim remains to rid the asparagus stalk of its woody ends before cooking begins.

This recipe lends itself well to modification. Here is a collection of four easy-to-make variants of the primary recipe:

1. Eliminate the asparagus for a classic Fettuccine Alfredo.
2. Replace the asparagus with a cup of frozen peas, added during the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking, and couple it with 1/4 pound deli ham cut into thin strips. This makes for a delicious Fettuccine Alfredo with Ham and Peas.
3. Omit the asparagus and add 3 tablespoons of mixed fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, or chives at the end for a herbaceous Fettuccine Alfredo.
4. Do away with the asparagus and blend in 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and 1/2 teaspoon dried sage at the end to get a unique Fettuccine Alfredo with Parsley and Sage.

A full-bodied, sharply acidic wine pairs excellently with the crunch of asparagus, and just as well cuts through the richness of the Alfredo sauce. A Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or a Vernaccia from Italy are good options to try.

Enjoy your spring by bringing your kitchen alive with this refreshing recipe, served best with extra grated parmesan on the piping hot pasta. Revel in the taste of a classic Italian dish – stunning in its simplicity yet rich in its flavors.