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 bottom inch off the broccolini stems and add the stalks to a baking sheet. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper and roast until tender and browned in places, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Peel the garlic. Halve the lemons. Pick the sage leaves and discard the stems. In a food processor, combine the garlic, lemon juice, sage leaves, walnuts, spinach, just half the parmesan, ⅔ cup olive oil, ¼ cup water, 1 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Pulse pesto until well combined but not completely smooth.

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup of pasta water and drain the penne. Return the penne to the pot, off of the heat.

Add the sage walnut pesto and reserved pasta water to the penne in the pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until penne is well coated and pesto sauce has thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt.

Toss the cranberries with the broccolini directly on the baking sheet. Divide the sage walnut pesto penne between shallow bowls and serve with crispy broccolini. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Mangia!