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Two Kooks In The Kitchen

Easy to follow, adaptable recipes for the busy home cook.

February 9, 2020

Cauliflower Rice Recipe with Pesto

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Cauliflower Rice with Pesto in a bowl p
Cauliflower Rice with Pesto in a bowl pp

Healthy and colorful, this Cauliflower ‘rice’ recipe with pesto is a vibrant side dish with cauliflower, basil, spinach, garlic, lemon and Parmesan.

Cauliflower 'rice' with Pesto. Basil, spinach, lemon zest, Parmesan and garlic add some serious flavour to this healthy vegetable side dish.

Cauliflower on its own is bland. Processing it into rice form and adding a fresh bold pesto turns it into a flavorful and pretty side dish that goes perfectly with fish or any other protein for that matter. If you like pesto, you will like this dish.

I use a processor to rice the cauliflower, but you can also grate it with a large box grater. Or buy it pre-riced in the store. Many stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walmart and other mainstream groceries sell fresh riced cauliflower now. It’s more expensive but very convenient.

Without the pesto, I love to serve riced cauliflower with Thai curried shrimp and vegetables or Instant Pot cabbage rolls unstuffed. With the pesto, it’s great with salmon stuffed with lemon ricotta and baked apricot chicken.

Rice vs Cauliflower ‘Rice’

If you’re trying to cut carbs and calories in your diet, cauliflower rice is an excellent substitute for classic rice. The look and texture is quite similar and I find it just as satisfying if served dressed up or with a saucy meal.

  • One cup of white rice contains over 50 carbohydrates. This cauliflower rice recipe with the pesto has only 8 carbs (plain cauliflower rice has 5 carbs per cup).
  • Cauliflower has less than a quarter of the calories and 7 times the fiber as white rice.

Tailor To Your Taste

  • I used a spinach-basil pesto for this recipe, but any kind of pesto you like will work. Variations of this pesto can be found on many sites including NYT Cooking, AllRecipes and Epicurious. Feel free to add pine nuts or walnuts if you like (optional in the recipe below).
  • You can, of course, make this recipe with leftover rice instead of cauliflower.

Shortcuts

  • Buy a fresh prepared pesto at your local market or store instead of making it from scratch (although it’s pretty easy!).
  • Buy fresh riced cauliflower. It’s sold frozen too, but I find it gets mushier when cooked.
  • With these two shortcuts together, the recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make. 

Make Ahead Cauliflower Rice Recipe with Pesto

  • The pesto can be made a day or two ahead. And you can ‘rice’ the cauliflower ahead of time as well and store it in a sealed bag or container for a few days or even in the freezer (I just learned) for up to 6 months.
  • If you make the recipe an hour or two ahead, I suggest under cooking the cauliflower rice a bit, then rewarming the completed dish on the stove or in the microwave.
Cauliflower 'rice' with Pesto ingredients
spinach-basil pesto

spinach-basil pesto
cauliflower florets

cauliflower 'rice'
Cauliflower 'rice' with Pesto

Cauliflower Rice with Pesto in bowl 5

Cauliflower 'rice' with Pesto in a bowl
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Rate this recipe here

5 from 10 votes

Cauliflower 'Rice' Recipe with Pesto

Healthy and low in calories, this Cauliflower 'Rice' recipe with Pesto is a vibrant side dish bursting with basil, spinach, garlic, lemon and Parmesan flavors.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Cheryl
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Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower (this will make about 4 cups or 14 ounces riced cauliflower)
  • 2 tsp olive oil

Pesto

  • 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or up to 1/3 if preferred)
  • 1 clove garlic (1 tsp)
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (or more)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (or up to 1/2 cup if you're using more Parmesan)
  • 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  • PREPARE AND 'RICE' CAULIFLOWER: Rinse cauliflower and shake off excess water. Cut into quarters and then into florets. Remove all stems. Place half of florets into a food processor and pulse until cauliflower resembles rice. Empty into a skillet. You may still have a couple of florets that didn't chop. Just add them to the next batch. Pulse next batch until all cauliflower is rice-size. Add to skillet. You will have about 4 cups 'rice'.
  • MAKE PESTO: In the same processor bowl, add spinach, basil, Parmesan cheese, nuts (if using), garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest and a bit of the oil (about 2-3 tablespoons). Process until blended. While processor is still on, slowly add remaining oil through feeder tube until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  • COOK CAULIFLOWER RICE: Add 1 tablespoon oil to cauliflower in skillet and heat to medium. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes. This will depend on the size and depth of the pan. Cauliflower should be tender (not mushy) and still have a slight bite to it.
  • ADD PESTO AND SERVE: Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup pesto until you're happy with the taste (reserve any leftovers for pesto ricotta crostini appetizers or other uses). Stir until well combined and heated through - one to two minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with or pass extra Parmesan, chopped nuts and/or shredded basil leaves.
4

Notes

Make Ahead:
  • The pesto can be made a day or two ahead. And you can 'rice' the cauliflower ahead of time as well and store it in a sealed bag or container for a few days or even in the freezer (I just learned) for up to 6 months. 
  • If you make the recipe an hour or two ahead, I suggest under cooking the cauliflower rice a bit, then rewarming the completed dish on the stove or in the microwave. 
Nutrition Value estimates include more pesto that you will need for this recipe and therefore will be a bit lower. They also do not include the optional pine nuts.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower 'Rice' Recipe with Pesto
Amount Per Serving (4 g)
Calories 244 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 6mg2%
Sodium 288mg13%
Potassium 464mg13%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 643IU13%
Vitamin C 72mg87%
Calcium 113mg11%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?We'd love you to rate it above under 'rate this recipe' or in the comment section below. Thanks!
4g

Here are a few other cauliflower recipes you might like.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
Parmesan roasted cauliflower in a serving bowl sprinkled with parsley
Weeknight or company fare, Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower is just a simple delicious vegetable side dish with lots of crispy caramelized bits. 
Get the recipe
Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry
Cauliflower-Carrot 'Rice', Spinach and Beets - low carb healthy vegetarian side
If you are looking for a low carb, satisfying vegetarian side dish, Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry is a great way to go. And it's super healthy with cauliflower, carrots, spinach and beets. 
Get the recipe
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Grape Relish
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Grape Relish
Company-worthy Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Relish becomes a beautiful centerpiece, brightened with a fruity sweet and zesty topping.
Get the recipe
Grilled Cauliflower
Grilled Spiced Cauliflower in a bowl with a lemon wedge
Transform your cauliflower into something special with a wonderful blend of spices and a grill basket. Grilled Cauliflower is an easy healthy side dish for any meal, ready in in 15 minutes.
Get the recipe

 

This recipe, initially published May 2017, has been updated with new information and picture edits. 

 

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Make Ahead Recipes, Side Dishes, Under 30 minutes, Vegetarian Recipes Tagged With: cauliflower rice recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christiane says

    March 9, 2020 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    As a low carb eater, I love cauliflower rice. But I have never tried it with pesto. This looks awesome!

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      March 9, 2020 at 5:35 pm

      Hope you like it. If you like pesto, I think you will!

      Reply

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Two Kooks, Cheryl and Jenna

We're Two Kooks (mom and daughter) sharing recipes and tips for the busy home cook that are researched and tested, adaptable to your taste, easy to follow and delish. Check us out! Read More…

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