Forget Noodles — Add This Italian Pasta Sauce To Rice For 10x The Flavor

Pasta sauce is labeled as such because it's most commonly poured over pasta, but who says you can't do the same with rice? Rice is another starchy base that could benefit from a little sauce, so next time you're in the sauce aisle, grab a jar of pesto — we recommend choosing one that earned a spot on our best jarred pestos list. The rich, bold flavors pair nicely with rice, and by just mixing these two foods together, you can create the base for a delicious meal.

If you need a quick meal or snack, you can simply mix pesto with rice and eat it as-is. Most pesto is made with basil, Parmesan, olive oil, and usually pine nuts, which all come together to create a strong savory, herbaceous flavor. A little goes a long way here, which is why it's perfect for something neutral-flavored like rice. For the most part, you can also add pesto to any kind of rice; white, brown, and wild rice all have a pretty mild taste, so be aware that the pesto will be the star here unless you add in some other ingredients to balance it out. And if you do want to create a full dinner that tastes homemade without the effort, there are even more simple additions to take a basic bowl of pesto rice to the next level.

The easiest way to add more flavor to your pesto rice is to buy two more ingredients: rotisserie chicken and mozzarella. The combination of mozzarella, basil, and rice creates a savory, cheesy rice base, then you can top it with shredded chicken for a well-rounded, filling dinner. The additional ingredients still keep the meal low-cost. A few other options are plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, which both offset the pesto's bold flavor a bit and add some creaminess, or veggies like tomatoes, asparagus, or peas, which can all be prepared and added with ease.

You can also enhance this pesto rice dish with ingredients hanging around your pantry or fridge. Maybe you have an open container of Parmesan to sprinkle in or a tomato you want to dice up before it goes bad. If there's leftover chicken in the fridge or a few frozen shrimp left in that bag you bought, heat them up and toss them into this dish. With how simple the initial combination is, there are all kinds of mix-ins that can make pesto rice go from good to great.