Roughly chop the feathery fennel fronds. Combined the fronds, garlic, and nuts into a food processor—process until all are finely chopped. Add cheese, pepper flakes and salt. Process, slowly adding the ½ cup of olive oil—check consistency; more oil may be added for a thinner pesto.  

Add a thin layer of oil on top of the pesto and keep in an airtight container; this will maintain a brighter color and keep fresher for longer. Store in the refrigerator up to 10 days. Pesto freezes well: Initially freeze in an ice cube tray; once solid, transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months—pop them out and use as needed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

Rinse broccolini and trim the ends. 

Once water is boiling, add broccolini stalks, blanch for 1 minute. Use tongs to remove from water and rinse immediately under cold water to stop the cooking process (this preserves the bright green color and crunch of the vegetable).  

Once cooled, towel dry and chop into 1-inch pieces.  

Bring the water back to a boil. Using the same water, cook the orecchiette according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. 

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil; add sausage crumbles and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  

Add in chopped broccolini. Remove from heat and add in cooked orecchiette and pesto, stir until well combined.  

Add in reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.  

Garnish with freshly grated pecorino.