We have a nice asparagus patch, which we just quit picking May 15th. We got about 6 weeks out of it.
I put a couple tablespoons each of butter and olive oil into a sautee pan. Add the prepared (as mentioned above) asparagus, and sautee for a few minutes. Salt & pepper well, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top, reduce heat, cover, and let steam to desired tenderness.
We like this better than any other method we've tried.
Asparagus tips are great in any Alfredo. When I'm fixing that, I just toss them in with the pasta for the last minute or so of cooking.
You can save the tough stems in a bag in the freezer for cream of asparagus soup later.