Easy Pesto Potatoes

These Easy Pesto Potatoes are crispy roasted potatoes tossed in a homemade pesto sauce. It’s a side your family and friends will always be excited for!

RECIPE INDEX

• About this recipe
• Alternatives
• Planet friendly points
• Recipe steps
• Ingredients 
• Tips
• More fun recipes to try
• Expiration & Storage

ABOUT THESE EASY PESTO POTATOES

I was at a restaurant once in San Diego and was trying to figure out what was sooooo good about the potatoes I was eating. The restaurant was clearly using fresh ingredients (no brainer), but there was something else… Basil, they had some sort of seasoning that incorporated Basil and for sure olive oil into the sauce the potatoes were tossed in. This amazing meal experience inspired me to come up with this Easy Pesto Potatoes recipe. It really is simple, the hardest part is separating the potatoes on the pan to get them crispy. The rest is literally just blending the pesto and cutting up potatoes. I’ll also let you in on my tried and true secrets to super crispy potatoes. So far it’s worked every time!!!

ALTERNATIVES 

Potatoes. 

I recommend small fingerling potatoes. Feel free to use what you have though. You can pretty much use any potatoes, however: Yukon, red, purple are the ones I recommend the most!

Walnuts (in the pesto).

Pine Nuts are classic for pesto. Walnuts are a bit more wallet friendly and taste just as good!

Olive oil.

I recently ran out of olive oil and used canola oil. Not quite as recommended for pesto, but it honestly tasted good! I even had guests over and I don’t think they’re even noticed. Avocado oil would be my second choice, of course olive oil is first! 

PLANET FRIENDLY POINTS

This pesto is designed to be used for more than just this dinner, it’s a double batch. Use it again and save some sweat equity. Add the left overs into some pasta salad for lunch… Top it off with buratta for the full experience. Feel free to even dilute the left over pesto with greek yogurt to make a pesto green goddess salad dressing. Toss it in cucumbers and chickpeas for a nice side salad. There’s sooo many options. Potatoes are some of the most sustainable things you can eat. They grow like crazy and in poor soil while also not requiring much water. They also make french fries so that’s a win on itself. 😀

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes

25 mini potatoes (2 regular red and/or Yukon… or even purple potatoes)

3/4 cup Olive oil 

Pesto

1/2 cup Parmesan 

1 cup pinenuts (or walnuts)

2 teaspoon salt 

Six cracks of pepper 

2 cups of basil 

3/4 cup olive oil 

3 garlic cloves 

RECIPE STEPS

1 Pre-heat oven

Set oven to 425 F

2 Prep ice water bowl and sheet pan

Make a large bowl of ice water and oil a sheet pan. I like to line mine with foil.

3 Chop potatoes

Chop potatoes into wedges and place them into the bowl as you chop. This helps clean them but also gets them crispy! I suggest making the cuts long and angled to expose more flesh. More flesh = more potential crispiness! I love leaving skin on each pieces for the skin contrast in textures. Lastly, of course, cut them in as similar sizing as possible for even cooking.

3 Drain & dry

Drain potatoes and pat dry on a rag

4 Toss potatoes 

Put potatoes back into bowl with salt, pepper & olive oil (1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste (I did 6 fresh cracks which is approx 1/4 teaspoon) and 3/4c olive oil. Toss to evenly coat.

5 Place potatoes on sheet pan.

Place on the prepped baking sheet. Spread them out evenly, try to get them to not touch if possible. Tip: Place the largest skin side down facing the pan to get the most crisp cooking early.

6 Place potatoes in oven.

Place in oven. Bake for 30mins. Rotate the pan so sides are on opposite ends each time the 10min timer goes off (this helps evenly cook each side.) When you set the timer for the last of the 3 10 minutes, toss the potatoes and flip. Do your best to get the non fave down/not as crispy sides to face down on the pan now.

7 While potatoes bake, make your pesto

Get out all ingredients and measuring tools for the pesto. TIP: Now is a good time to work on any other salads or place chicken on the grill etc.

8 Chop parmeasan 

Roughly chop parmesan (1/2 cup) pieces up if in a block and not pre sliced or grated.

9 Add all ingredients to blender

Add the rest of your ingredients to the food processor (or blender):

• 1 cup pinenuts (or walnuts)
• 2 teaspoon salt 
• 6 cracks of pepper 
• 2 cups of basil 
• 3/4 cup olive oil 
• 3 garlic cloves 

10 Blend

Blend until finely grated and melded together. You’ll want it to look like the below image.

11 Toss

Once potatoes are done. Toss using a spatula (tongs will tear up the potatoes more). Scoop about 1/2c of the pesto. Mix together. Add more if you want!

12 They’re ready!

And just like that your Pesto Potatoes are ready to serve.

TIPS

When adding the potatoes to your pan, try not to let any access oil pool into the pan. It will take away the crispiness and make your potatoes soggy! Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way. Just a light even layer of pam spray or oil will do.

COMPATIBLE RECIPES

If you have left over potatoes, use them in this delish Pink Goat Cheese Potatoes recipe. (Coming soon)

Pair these Easy Pesto Potatoes as a side with grilled chicken and a basil caprese salad. Add these delicious croutons on top while you’re at it!

Try these Rainbow Honey Glazed grilled Carrots as another delicious side. 

EXPIRATION & STORAGE

Will store well for up to 8 days! Keep in an airtight container.