These crispy roasted pesto potatoes make a delicious and simple side dish for many meals. The potatoes are coated in a fresh herb pesto then roasted to fork-tender with a crispy golden skin.
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Whenever I'm stumped for a side dish for dinner my go-to is usually some sort of potato. Whether it's a baked sweet potato or crispy roasted ones, they typically compliment any meal well.
These crispy roasted pesto potatoes take it up one level with a dairy free fresh basil pesto that's super simple to make. You can also use parmesan cheese if you aren't dairy free!
If you aren't up for making your own pesto: you can follow the directions and use ½ cup of pre-made pesto.
Do you need to cook potatoes before roasting?
Boiling potatoes before roasting them is a common cooking practice, especially in restaurants. It helps cook the potatoes evenly first.
Although this is a great technique, it's not necessary for roasting potatoes and I find potatoes get more crispy when they're dried out.
And to be totally honestly, I don't want to spend the time or get the extra dishes dirty so this recipe does not require boiling the potatoes. I think they get just as tender and crispy!
What goes well with pesto?
Pesto is an Italian green sauce that goes well with mostly carbs. It's great with potatoes, of course, but it also pairs well with pasta, pizza, and chicken (like this pesto chicken!).
If you love this recipe as much as I do, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you.
What to serve with pesto potatoes
- Gluten free fried chicken
- Honey sriracha wings
- Instant pot honey mustard chicken
- Honey glazed salmon
- Mushroom and spinach stuffed flank steak
Rosted Pesto Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby yukon gold potatoes cut in half *see notes
- ½ cup raw pine nuts could also use walnuts or cashews
- ¾ cup tightly packed basil
- 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- Juice from ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly, dry them and then cut the potatoes in half. You may need to quarter some of the large ones so each piece is the same size for even cooking. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, make the basil pesto. Add the pine nuts, basil, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. Slowly add the olive oil and blend for another minute. Add the pesto to the potatoes, reserving a tablespoon or two for the end, and toss to coat the potatoes thoroughly.
- Spread the potatoes evenly onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer, trying not to let any potatoes overlap. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and toss with the remaining pesto. Serve immediately.
Elena says
I followed the recipe but grilled rather than baked. We just wrapped them in tinoil and checked every few minutes until they were done. So yummy!! And the perfect side dish for a summer dinner.