Name: Pesto Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed; 2 tablespoons pine nuts; 2 teaspoons garlic minced; ½ cup olive oil; ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated); 1 teaspoon salt (divided); 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (divided); 4 cups cooked rice; salt

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Pesto Rice ~

Creamy rice side dish with a simple and herbaceous homemade pesto.

Serve with Baked Falafel and Bell Pepper Salad.

Pesto Rice ~ The light and herbaceous flavors of this creamy rice dish make it a nice addition to all sorts of dinner meals!

Table of Contents

Easy Pesto Rice Recipe

I like this Pesto Rice recipe because it’s simple yet flavorful. The creamy rice and fresh pesto make a perfect combination, and it works well with so many meals. It’s also a great way to use up leftover pesto.

Making Pesto Rice is easy: cook the rice, blend the pesto with basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil, and then mix it all together. The process is quick, but the result is a satisfying side dish.

Ingredients for Pesto Rice

You will need the following:

2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 teaspoons garlic minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
4 cups cooked rice
salt

Ingredient Notes

Store-bought Pesto: To save time, substitute ½ cup of prepared store-bought pesto for homemade.
Rice Variety: Mild-flavored rices, like white, Basmati, or light brown, work well in this recipe and allow the pesto’s flavors to shine through.

How to Make Pesto Rice

For the pesto:
In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until the basil is coarsely chopped. Add the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Pulse until the mixture is well blended but still retains some texture.

For the rice:
Prepare the rice according to the package directions to yield 4 cups of cooked rice. Gently fluff the rice with a fork, then set aside to cool slightly for about 10 minutes.

Putting it all together:
Stir the prepared pesto, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper into the cooked rice. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then serve warm.

More Easy Rice Recipes You’ll Love!

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Pesto Rice

The light and herbaceous flavors of this creamy rice dish make it a nice addition to a variety of dinner meals!

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: rice, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 355kcal

Author: Holly Gray

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 teaspoons garlic minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon salt divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
4 cups cooked rice
salt

Instructions

For the pesto:

Into a food processor, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until the basil is coarsely chopped.Add the olive oil, vegan parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Pulse until the mixture is well blended but still has a little bit of texture.

For the rice:

Prepare the rice according to package directions for yielding 4 cups of cooked rice. Gently fluff the rice with a fork then set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Putting it all together:

Stir the prepared pesto, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper into the cooked rice. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm.

Nutrition

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