Trim the woody ends from the asparagus, wash them, and cut the tips, leaving them fairly long. Blanch the tips in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes. Cut the stalks diagonally into pieces about 3/4 inch (2 cm) long and blanch them in the same water. Drain and set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a large bowl, add the pistachio pesto and thin it with a ladle of pasta cooking water. Slice the smoked salmon into strips about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide. Drain the pasta and reserve an extra cup of the cooking water.

In the bowl, combine the pasta, smoked salmon, blanched asparagus stalks, freshly ground black pepper, a bit of grated fresh ginger, and lemon zest. Mix well. If needed, add some of the reserved pasta water. Plate and serve hot, garnished with more black pepper, ginger, lemon zest, and the asparagus tips. Enjoy!