Easy breezy herb garden pasta

As you might definitely know by now, I am forever trying to grow as much food as possible in our extremely shady back yard. Spend time trying to keep birds, squirrels and snails at bay organically while coaxing even a small handful of strawberries from a garden spot under a large tree, and you'll never balk at farmers market prices again. Suffice it to say I've mostly given up on plants beyond the trusty basics: greens of all stripes, container tomatoes and herbs. That said, a sage plant I planted a couple years back has decided it loves the shady spot under the tree and has grown into a sizeable bush pregnant with velvety, finger-length leaves. I love sage but don't use it enough. One of my favorite applications is sage butter tossed with pumpkin ravioli though that's most often a go-to meal for one when T is away because he finds pumpkin too earthily sweet to truly enjoy. But sage in large-scale use?

My good friend, M, has a terrifically sunny spot in her yard and is awash in herbs as I write. She recently made my mint-pistachio pesto and later asked about my sage-walnut pesto. Her question and subsequent making of that pesto jogged my memory in the best way: why wasn't I making sage pesto right now?

Last night, I did. And it was scrumptious. Simple, bright, unexpected. And a great way to use a delicate yet assertively flavored plant that's rarely forefront in people's minds. Try it soon; you'll love it too!