Break off any tough ends of asparagus (try breaking the asparagus stalk as close to the end as it will snap cleanly - this removes the tough ends). Cut the asparagus into 3 sections. Steam or microwave the tips (spears) until just tender, but still crisp. Rinse in cold water to stop any further cooking, drain and put aside.

Place the remaining stalks, crushed stock cubes and water in a small saucepan and cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes). Pan fry the spring onion in the butter until soft. Place spring onion mixture, cooked asparagus stalks and about 1/4 cup of the asparagus liquid in a food processor with the cream and blend until as smooth as possible. Return the processed mixture to the pan, and add the salmon.

Cook the pasta, drain thoroughly, return to the saucepan, and toss with a little oil to keep from sticking. Reheat the salmon sauce, add the basil and asparagus spears and mix. Add sauce to pasta, toss gently and serve. Garnish with sprigs of basil or dill.

(I actually prefer to spoon pasta into bowls and serve a generous helping of sauce over the pasta - the sauce permeates down through the pasta, and gets 'tossed' in the process of eating, and I find it easier to judge the ratio of pasta to sauce. I sometimes find recipes specify too much pasta for the amount of sauce for my taste!)