By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 4
193 cal · 30 min
Lemon Pesto Cauliflower Rice
Recipe GLPR956acc53eae948
A fresh and vibrant cauliflower rice dish infused with a bright lemon basil pesto. Tender riced cauliflower is sautéed until fluffy, then tossed with sweet peas and a homemade pesto made from fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. This gluten-free and primal-friendly side dish is ready in just 30 minutes and makes a perfect accompaniment to any protein.
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Ingredients
½ cup Fresh basil leaves
1 Garlic clove
⅓ cup Grated parmesan cheese
⅛ cup Pine nuts
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon Sea salt
¼ teaspoon Black pepper
1 Cauliflower head
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil for cooking
1 cup Frozen or fresh peas, at room temperature
Fresh lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
Combine fresh basil leaves, garlic clove, grated parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Add the fresh lemon juice and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse paste. Drizzle in 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil while pulsing until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Wash and cut the cauliflower head into large florets. Working in batches, place florets in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is finely broken down into rice-sized pieces. Transfer the riced cauliflower to a plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the riced cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until the moisture has evaporated and the cauliflower becomes tender and fluffy.
Gently fold the room-temperature peas and prepared pesto into the cooked cauliflower, stirring until everything is well combined and heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with fresh lemon wedges. Serve warm and enjoy.
Comments
Pine nuts are the availability snag here—Food Lion and Harris Teeter stock them in the bulk aisle, but many shoppers will need to special-order or substitute at ALDI or Walmart, adding a step or cost to an otherwise simple weeknight dish. The base ingredient list is cheap (under $12 for four servings, maybe $2.50 per serving), and the stated 30 minutes is honest if you're handy with a food processor, though hand-mincing basil and garlic adds five minutes. This is a smart side dish that reheats well and works for meal prep, though it's not quite a complete dinner without protein and the pesto-cauliflower combination demands respect for its texture—overprocessing the rice ruins it.
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