One Pot Pesto Shells + Cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a good amount of salt - for pasta, at least 1 Tablespoon of salt goes in. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Add the broccolini to the boiling pasta pot when there are about 6 minutes left to cook (your pasta will likely call for 11 - 14 minutes, so add the broccolini after the pasta gets a 6 - 8 minute head start).

Drain. Pluck out the broccolini and set aside on a separate plate.

To use one pot, cook the sauce after the pasta is done. To go faster, use a second pot and start the sauce while the pasta is boiling.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until completely combined; the mixture will look like wet sand. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in a little bit of the milk until smooth, then whisk in the remaining milk and continue whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 - 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, a little bit at a time until melted and smooth. Stir in the pesto, salt, and pepper, if using.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir gently until the pasta and sauce are evenly combined.

Plate a scoop of shells and cheese with broccolini on the side. Top the pasta with more pesto sauce if you like and salt the broccolini to your taste.