Pesto Roasted Potatoes

Pesto roasted potatoes are my secret super-fast side dish that I make all summer long. Just 5 minutes of hands-on prep, and then they cook in the oven to golden brown perfection. We stir more pesto on the potatoes right when they come out of the oven for an extra dose of herby deliciousness!

A one-handed side dish:

I feel like I'm cooking with one hand a lot these days. I've either got a baby in one hand, or I'm using one hand to break up little brother and sister fighting over a toy while I attempt to drizzle olive oil in a pan to get dinner started. You feel me, parents? Enter a side dish that I can make with one hand that everyone loves: pesto roasted potatoes.

I always have a jar of pesto in my fridge (sometimes it's homemade, but most of the time, it's store-bought), and a bag of baby Yukon golds in the pantry. Quick tip: when you're grocery shopping, look for the bag of baby potatoes that are all roughly the same size. I aim for ping-pong sized potatoes, because whenever the potatoes are all different sizes, you'll have to spend time chopping them. Save yourself the time and effort, and grab a bag of all similarly-sized potatoes.

Another quick tip: toss the potatoes with the pesto right on the roasting pan. Let's get as few dishes dirty as possible, so that we have more time for ourselves after baby bedtimes! Just toss the potatoes with the pesto, salt and pepper on the baking sheet, and roast them in the oven. The total roasting time is roughly 20 minutes, but be sure to give the pan a shake half-way through to encourage evenly golden brown potatoes.

My favorite part about this recipe is that the potatoes are roasted in pesto, and also topped with fresh pesto right when they come out of the oven. It's a double pesto situation, and the herby flavors work so well with the potatoes. It's just addicting! Plus, I love that I can buy a dairy-free pesto if I need to make this for my vegan husband. If you have nut allergies in your family, make your own pesto without nuts and enjoy this pesto roasted potatoes sidedish.

Ingredients:

Yukon Gold Potatoes. You need 1 ½ pounds of baby Yukon golds. Aim for a bag of potatoes where most of the potatoes are the same size. I like ping pong-sized potatoes. Any potatoes that are larger than the rest need to be sliced in half.
Basil Pesto. You need ¼ cup of pesto; store-bought or homemade both work here. We're roasting the potatoes in half of the pesto, and then tossing them with the remaining half after cooking for a double pesto hit.
Salt and Pepper.

How to make pesto potatoes:

Gather all of the ingredients: the baby potatoes, pesto, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit. Have a large roasting pan ready. Rinse and scrub the potatoes, and then place them on the roasting pan. Drizzle with half of the pesto (2 tablespoons), and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Using your hands or tongs, toss everything together.
Spread the potatoes in a single layer, as spaced out as possible on the pan. Roast for 10 minutes, and then give the pan a shake (or flip the potatoes individually with tongs), and roast for another 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are done (test with a skewer to ensure they're cooked all the way through), add the remaining half of the pesto, and toss again. Serve these pesto roasted potatoes immediately.

What goes with pesto potatoes?

These potatoes are welcome alongside my Salisbury steak easy, instead of the regular new potatoes. I also love them with my buttermilk chicken tenders or my rosemary lemon chicken thighs, too!

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make these pesto roasted potatoes ahead of time, but with a big modification. Roast the potatoes completely, and do not add the last half of the pesto. Cool the potatoes, and store them, tightly wrapped, in the fridge. When ready to serve, add the potatoes back to a hot oven to warm all the way through. Toss with the remaining pesto, and then serve.

Other ways to use pesto:

Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Melting Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Potato Salad

Yield: 4

Potatoes roasted in pesto, and then tossed with pesto again just before serving.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds baby Yukon golds
¼ cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade is fine)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Rinse the baby potatoes, and scrub them very well with a brush because we’re leaving the skins on the potatoes. Dry the potatoes very well, and cut any large ones (bigger than a ping pong ball) in half. Try to ensure all of the potatoes are the same size so they cook evenly.
On a large sheet pan, add the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the potatoes. Toss the potatoes very well to coat them with the pesto.
Spread the potatoes out evenly so they don’t touch on the sheet pan.
Roast for 10 minutes, shake the pan to roll the potatoes around, and then roast for another 10 minutes.
Use a skewer to check to make sure the potatoes are tender in the middle before removing them from the oven. Add another 10 minutes, if necessary.
When the potatoes are done, move them to a serving bowl or platter, and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of pesto. Serve warm.

Notes

Yukon Gold Potatoes: You need 1 ½ pounds of baby Yukon golds. Aim for a bag of potatoes where most of the potatoes are the same size. I like ping pong-sized potatoes. Any potatoes that are larger than the rest need to be sliced in half.
Basil Pesto: You need ¼ cup of pesto; store-bought or homemade both work here. We're roasting the potatoes in half of the pesto, and then tossing them with the remaining half after cooking for a double pesto hit.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 240Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 360mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

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