Bring large pot of water to boil. Add a couple of large pinches of salt. Strip the leaves of kale away from stems and roughly chop/tear into pieces. You’ll need a total of 2 cups, lightly packed. Add the kale to the salted boiling water. Cook for 1 minute then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a colander. Rinse the kale with cold water, then gently squeeze out any water. Set the kale aside for now.

Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook it according to package instructions. Drain the orzo and set aside until the pesto is ready.

Heat a large skillet over medium. While skillet heats up, make the pesto. Add the pecans, garlic powder, the zest of the lemon, a pinch of salt, and the parmesan to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the cooked and drained kale, sage, maple syrup, and a tablespoon of juice from the lemon and pulse until a thick paste forms. Scrape down the sides as needed. With the processor running on low, stream in 6 tablespoons of the olive oil until a thick and creamy pesto forms. Taste the kale pesto and add more salt or lemon as needed. Mix the kale pesto with the cooked orzo. 

Once the skillet is to temperature, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent (about 2-3 minutes), then add the sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until the mushrooms are turning brown. This will take about 8-10 minutes.

Add the drained cannellini beans and chopped sundried tomatoes to the mushrooms and cook an additional 2 minutes just to warm them through. Turn off the heat, then toss the mushroom mixture with the orzo. Serve as-is or with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.