Use a sharp knife to cut the fibrous ends off the asparagus stalks, then carefully rinse them under running water without leaving them to soak. To be sure that all of the earth has been removed from the stalks, scrape with a small knife and rinse again. Strain and tie the asparagus in small bunches with kitchen string. Put them upright in a tall, narrow saucepan (even better is an asparagus pot with its own strainer) with 4-5 centimetres of boiling water, to which you have added ½ a tablespoon of course salt. Cook with the lid on for approximately 20 minutes, or until the "heads" begin to bend over. To make this sauce, the asparagus must be well cooked. Use tongs to remove them from the pan. Cut off any remaining fibrous ends, put the asparagus in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients – the pine nuts, oil, basil, vinegar and fine salt – and blend. The soft and fragrant purée you obtain is now "ready for anything." This sauce’s unmistakeable fragrance of asparagus adds a special touch to countless dishes. One particularly special combination is Asparagina and eggs, cooked in any way. It works excellently as a sauce for any type of pasta or rice (it’s perfect with egg pasta). It’s exquisite, as an appetizer, spread on little slices of toasted white bread and served with wedges of hardboiled egg or chunks of aged cheese, and also spread on cubes of “frittata”.