Sage Walnut Pesto Penne

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Trim the broccolini. Add broccolini, 2 tsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a baking sheet, and toss. Roast until tender and browned in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

Peel the garlic. Halve and juice the lemon. Pick the sage leaves and discard the stems. Add peeled garlic, lemon juice, sage leaves, walnuts, just half the parmesan, baby spinach, 3 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper to a food processor. Pulse until the sage walnut pesto is well combined but not completely smooth. TIP: You can substitute water for some of the olive oil if you prefer.

Add pasta to the boiling water, stir, and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain the pasta. Return pasta to the pot, off heat.

Add sage walnut pesto and reserved pasta water to the pot with the pasta. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until pasta is well coated and pesto sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste, and add salt as necessary.

Add dried cranberries to the baking sheet with the roasted broccolini and toss. Divide the sage walnut pesto penne between bowls and serve with crispy broccolini and cranberries. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Buon appetito!