Boil a large pot of water, 3/4 full of water.  Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and use a peeler to scrape away the tough outer skin of each spear.  Leave the tips intact.  Tie the asparagus spear into 4 equal bundles with kitchen string.  Add the bundles to the boiling water, tips up, and cook for 5 minutes.  The asparagus should be tender but firm.  Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large frying pan.  Fry the eggs in the pan, taking care not to break the yolk.  Cook for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.  Add sprinkles of water, 2 tablespoons total, to the fry pan, cover, and cook the eggs for about 2 minutes, until the whites are solid but the yolks remain runny.  Remove the asparagus strings and arrange each bundle on an individual plate, then drape one of the fried eggs on top.  Liberally sprinkle each serving with Parmigiano-Regiano cheese and serve.

Recipe adapted from William-Sonoma’s Florence Cookbook.