Put roughly 4 quarts of water in a large pot, salt generously, and bring to a boil. Add broccolini to the water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the broccolini from the pot and set aside.

Bring the water back to a boil before adding the pasta. Cook according to instructions. Before straining the pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside. 

While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. Add the cooked broccolini, cannellini beans, basil, olive oil, salt, pine nuts, smashed garlic cloves, lemon juice, and grated parmesan to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the reserved pasta water to the sauce to reach your desired consistency and help it adhere to the pasta better. Blend again to combine.

Return the stained pasta to the pot, making sure it’s off heat, and add the pesto sauce to the pasta. Serve warm and garnish with extra parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

*to make vegan swap the parmesan with vegan parmesan.