This ONE-PAN Pesto Rice is a whole meal in one! We combine smoked chicken sausage with evenly tender rice, loads of veggies, and finish it off with a basil-pesto sauce. Everything bakes together in one pan (Yes, even uncooked rice!) and requires very little hands-on work.
Pesto Rice
If you remember last year’s “Back-To-School Lifesaver” recipes, we introduced a similar concept — rice, chicken, and veggies all cooked in one pan (this Coconut Chicken and Rice). And today, we’re revisiting the concept with different flavors to bring you another straightforward weeknight meal.
I mean, it doesn’t get too much easier than this, as your entire dinner — veggies, protein, and a carb base– is all prepared in a single pan. Dinner is ready with minimal effort required. That’s music to a parent’s ears!
Although this recipe doesn’t require a whole lot of prep time or exertion on your end, it does require a good amount of time in the oven. So while there is some planning involved to ensure you have the time required for this recipe to fully cook, most of that time is hands-off.
Quick Tip
Is Pesto Rice healthy? This meal is packed with healthy ingredients like lots of veggies, natural chicken sausage, and rice. Pesto is also a great choice because it’s made from good stuff like basil, olive oil, and pine nuts.
Let’s Chat Ingredients
Below are a few ingredient-specific notes:
- Basmati rice: This is a must for this recipe! We tried different kinds of rice, and only basmati worked well. If you don’t have it, I wouldn’t recommend making this recipe—it just won’t turn out right.
- Sausage: Any smoked sausage will do, but home cooks enjoy smoked chicken sausage best. My favorites are Aidell®s Italian Style with Mozzarella or the Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage (not sponsored). It’s healthy and tasty! Plus, since it’s smoked, you don’t have to worry about cooking it to a certain temperature.
- Sun-dried julienne-cut tomatoes with herbs: These tomatoes add a lot of flavor because of the herbs, so you don’t need extra ingredients. The julienne cut saves chopping time, and the tomatoes are savory, a little sweet, and chewy, making them a reliable addition to the Pesto Rice.
Pesto Rice Ingredients, Cont.
- Chicken stock. A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. We highly recommend Swanson® chicken stock in this recipe.
- Carrots. Avoid packaged pre-shredded carrots; they are hard, dry, and far less flavorful. When you grate your own carrots you’ll notice how much more moisture the carrots have– which is a must for the recipe to work well. (We’re relying on that moisture for the rice to cook properly!) Get large carrots, peel ’em, and grate them on the large holes of a grater.
- Fresh pesto. More on this ingredient below.
More on Pesto
Pesto is the reliable finishing touch for the rice and sausage—it brings everything together and makes it taste even better. It is worth using fresh basil pesto from the refrigerated section. You can usually find it near the fresh pasta and cheese. home cooks enjoy Rana’s® Basil Pesto (not sponsored).
Freshly made pesto can be a bit pricey, but it lasts a long time, and a little bit can add a lot of flavor to many dishes.
After making this Pesto Rice meal, you can use any leftover pesto to add a boost to your favorite dishes (or check out our list of favorites right above the printable recipe!).
How To Make Pesto Rice
- Generously grease the baking dish. To keep the rice from sticking, spray the dish well with cooking spray and don’t forget to add some butter!
- Take your time. The cooking time for this dish is long, but you don’t have to do much. Don’t rush it, or you might end up with rice that isn’t cooked evenly or is too soft.
- Let the rice rest. Just like when cooking rice on the stove, it needs time to sit and steam to avoid getting mushy. This recipe is the same — let the rice rest so it can become tender. Once it’s ready, serve it up and enjoy a super-straightforward and tasty dinner!
Storage
Pesto Rice Storage
This Pesto Rice recipe makes a lot! And the leftovers are satisfying.
Store leftovers separate from the pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Or freeze leftovers in an airtight bag. Be sure to store the pesto in a separate container and only combine the two when eating.
Use Leftover Pesto In One Of These Recipes:
- Pesto Chicken with a corn and bean salsa
- Pesto Vegetable Bowls over couscous
- Creamy Pesto Orzo with ground turkey (one-pot meal!)
- Pesto Chickpea Sandwiches with sun-dried tomatoes and almonds
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini straightforward 30-minute meal
