Italian Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Fried Rice
Day-old rice is stir-fried with zucchini, sweet sun-dried tomatoes and soft scrambled egg, then tossed with basil pesto, toasted pine nuts and Parmesan. It's a fast, vegetarian weeknight dinner with Italian flavors.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 19 min
- Total
- 39 min
- Makes
- About 6 cups (4 main-course servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Use rice that was cooked at least 6 hours ahead (ideally the day before) and chilled uncovered or loosely covered. Fresh, warm rice turns gummy in the pan. You need about 4 cups (640 g) cooked, which is roughly 1½ cups (285 g) of dry long-grain rice.
- Chop everything before you turn on the heat. Stir-frying moves fast.
- Take the pesto out of the fridge 15 minutes ahead so it loosens and coats the rice evenly.
- Use a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or a wok. A crowded pan steams the rice instead of frying it.
Prep the rice
- Break up the chilled rice with your fingers in a large bowl until no clumps larger than a grape remain.
- Chop the shallot, zucchini, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, and grate the Parmesan.
- Beat the eggs with a pinch of the salt in a small bowl.
- Have everything within reach of the stove.
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Ready when: The rice grains are separate and loose, and all vegetables are cut and ready.
Tip: Separating the rice now means you won't be mashing it in the hot pan.
Toast the pine nuts
- Heat the dry 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the pine nuts and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.
- Tip them onto a plate right away.
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Ready when: Nuts are golden brown in spots and smell nutty.
Tip: Pine nuts go from golden to burnt in seconds. Don't walk away, and remove them as soon as they color.
Scramble the eggs
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and let them set for 10 seconds.
- Then stir gently for 30 to 45 seconds to make soft curds.
- Move the eggs to a plate and break them into bite-size pieces.
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Ready when: Eggs are set with no visible liquid and no browning. They reach 160°F (71°C) and will finish cooking when returned to the rice.
Tip: Take the eggs off while they still look slightly glossy. They keep cooking from residual heat and when returned to the hot pan.
Sauté the vegetables
- Add the remaining olive oil (about 5 teaspoons) to the pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the shallot and zucchini with the ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and optional red pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Zucchini is lightly browned at the edges and just tender when poked, the shallot is translucent, and the garlic smells fragrant but is not brown.
Tip: If the pan looks dry or the garlic starts to darken, lower the heat slightly.
Fry the rice
- Add the rice to the pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute, then toss and press it down again.
- Repeat for 4 to 5 minutes total.
- Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt as you go.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot all the way through, with a few lightly toasted, slightly crisp grains and no mushy patches.
Tip: Resist constant stirring. Pausing between tosses lets the grains touch hot metal and fry.
Add spinach and pesto
- Turn the heat to low.
- Add the spinach and toss for 30 seconds until just wilted.
- Add the pesto and toss for 30 to 45 seconds so every grain is coated evenly and green.
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Ready when: Spinach is wilted and the rice is evenly coated in pesto, with no white streaks.
Tip: Add the pesto off high heat. Heat dulls fresh basil flavor and turns the color brownish.
Fold in eggs and cheese
- Return the eggs to the pan.
- Add half the pine nuts, the Parmesan and the lemon juice, and fold gently for 30 seconds.
- Taste and season with black pepper and more salt if needed.
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Ready when: The cheese has melted into the rice, which looks glossy and tastes bright and well seasoned.
Tip: Parmesan is salty, so taste before adding more salt.
Garnish and serve
- Divide among 4 warm bowls.
- Top with the remaining pine nuts, torn basil and extra Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
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Tip: Add the basil at the last moment so it stays bright green.
Good to know
Tips
- Dry rice is the key. If you must use fresh rice, spread it on a baking sheet and chill it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, until cool and dry on the surface.
- Use a good, bright green pesto. Store-bought pesto varies in saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt or Parmesan.
- Blot oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes on a paper towel so the rice doesn't turn greasy.
- Cook in a large, hot pan. If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, fry the rice in two batches.
Make ahead
"Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead. Spread it on a tray to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate in an airtight container. You can also chop the vegetables and grate the cheese a day ahead and refrigerate them separately."
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 1 month, though the spinach and egg texture softens. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes with a splash of water or olive oil, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), or microwave covered in 1-minute bursts, stirring between each.
Substitutions
- pine nuts → sliced almonds or chopped walnuts. Toast for the same time. Both are cheaper than pine nuts and still add crunch.
- Parmesan cheese → Pecorino Romano. Pecorino is saltier, so use slightly less (about 6 tbsp / 40 g) and skip the added salt in the rice step.
- zucchini → 1 cup (150 g) halved cherry tomatoes or diced bell pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until softened and lightly blistered.
- large eggs → 1 cup (about 160 g) drained canned white beans. Add them with the rice for a vegan base, and use a vegan pesto without Parmesan.