Rice Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Bright, herby, and punchy with a briny twist, this pesto swaps out the usual pine nuts and cheese for green olives that bring a savory, Mediterranean depth you won't find in a standard jar from the store. The combination of packed fresh basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest keeps things vibrant and lively, while the olive oil ties it all together into a silky, spoonable sauce. Since pesto recipes can sometimes sneak in unexpected fillers or starches, it's genuinely refreshing to work with a short list of whole, recognizable ingredients that are naturally grain- and rice-free from the start. A food processor does all the heavy lifting here ā a few pulses, a slow drizzle of oil, and you're done in minutes. Optional parsley adds a slightly grassy note if you want to stretch the green flavor even further. Toss it with zucchini noodles, spread it over grilled chicken, stir it into roasted vegetables, or use it as a bold dipping sauce ā this one earns its place in regular rotation.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ā cup pitted green olives
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā½ tsp lemon zest
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Ā½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1ā2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the basil leaves, green olives, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8ā10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, processing until the pesto is smooth with a few flecks of texture remaining ā about 20ā30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate.
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