First, clean the asparagus by rinsing the spears under cold water to remove any dirt. Pat with a clean towel to dry.
Trimmed asparagus
Trim the asparagus spears to remove the woody part in 1 of 2 ways. You can snap the end off each spear with your fingers.
Or you can use a knife to slice off at least ½-inch from the bottom of the spears. If some spears need more removed to get rid of the woody parts, continue trimming them with your knifie.
Sliced asparagus
Trim the asparagus then cut across the spears to yield slices of your desired size.
Shaved asparagus
Trim the asparagus spears. Use a swivel or Y-peeler to shave the spears into thin pieces from top to bottom. Use a knife to cut up what's left after you have peeled as much of the spears as possible.
You can also use a chef's or paring knife to shave asparagus. Thinly slice the spears at an angle from top to bottom to yield thin shavings.