Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 2 medium heads broccoli (or one very large head)
  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 6 Tablespoons grated Parmesan (divided)
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons pine nuts (or walnuts or almonds)
  • 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instruction

  • Cut florets from the heads of broccoli and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the broccoli florets are broken up into tiny pieces resembling rice, stopping frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate the broccoli evenly. Add riced broccoli to a bowl for now. Repeat this step in batches until all of the broccoli is pulsed.
  • To the now empty food processor, add basil leaves, 3 Tablespoons of Parmesan, lemon juice, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until the basil and nuts are broken up into small pieces and the ingredients are combined.
  • Pour in 1/4 cup of the olive oil and process until creamy. Set pesto aside for now.
  • Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan set over medium heat. Once heated, add the broccoli rice and stir. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until the broccoli has tenderized slightly.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto until evenly combined. Stir in remaining 3 Tablespoons of Parmesan and season with additional salt, pepper, lemon juice, Parmesan, etc. to your taste. Serve warm.