Fill and boil your kettle. Bend the asparagus spears and they should snap at the woody end (see our tip below for what to do with the ends). Cut the tender asparagus spears in half.

Pour the hot water from the kettle into a large pan and set on a medium-high heat. When the water has come back to the boil, add the spaghetti with a good pinch of salt. Simmer for 7 mins.

While the spaghetti simmers, halve the chilli and flick out the seeds if you prefer less heat. Finely chop it and add half to a bowl. Finely grate in the zest from the lemon and squeeze in the juice from 1 half. Add half the pot of crème fraîche with a good pinch of black pepper and mix.

Trim the courgette. Using a vegetable peeler, peel long ribbons off the courgette, turning it as you go. When you get to the core, finely slice it.

When the pasta has cooked for 7 mins, add the asparagus to the pan. Cook for 2 mins then drain, catching a mugful of the cooking water (or ladle some water out before you drain the pasta). Return the asparagus and spaghetti to the pan.

Add the chilli and lemon crème fraîche mixture, along with the courgette ribbons, and toss together. Trickle in a little of the cooking liquid from the pasta if you need to loosen the sauce. Tear in the smoked salmon and toss again. Taste and add a crack of pepper if you think it needs it.

Serve in warmed bowls, topped with a little more chopped chilli if you’d like some extra heat, and with wedges of the remaining lemon on the side.