Start with the vinaigrette to bind all the flavours together: mix the intense olive oil with the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper and the chopped walnuts. Put by.
Sauté the fresh asparagus in a frying pan with a good dash of extra-virgin olive oil. After a couple of minutes, add the sardines and leave to cook for 5 more minutes, taking care not to break up the fish when stirring. Add salt as necessary and put by.
Cook the pasta and take off the boil and strain a couple of minutes before it’s fully cooked. Mix the pasta with the asparagus, sardines and vinaigrette on a serving dish.
Serve warm or cold.