Lidia's Italy

3 quarts water, salted
24 medium asparagus spears
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
½ teaspoon Zest of 1 lemon, grated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus stalks. With a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom half of the stalks. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until tender but still crisp, about 6 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the cheese, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest until blended.

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the asparagus stalks in a single layer in an 8 x 8-inch or similar size flameproof baking dish. Drizzle the asparagus with melted butter and sprinkle an even layer of the breadcrumb mixture over the asparagus. Broil about 4 inches from the heat until the bread crumb mixture is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.