Crispy Pesto Roasted Potatoes
Crispy roasted potatoes tossed with creamy homemade pesto make the perfect healthy side dish for just about any meal. They’re gluten-free, and can easily be made vegan.
Why You’ll Love These Pesto Roasted Potatoes:
Who doesn’t love potatoes? And who doesn’t love pesto? Well, why not mix the two together to create the most delicious side dish that pairs well with almost any protein.
This recipe is quite simple to make. While you roast potatoes in the oven, make your homemade pesto. Then, toss it altogether with a sprinkle of parmesan and hemp seeds and enjoy!
Scroll down for the recipe!
Ingredients for this Recipe:
To make the roasted potatoes, you’ll need:
- Red potatoes, for roasting
- Olive oil
- Fresh garlic
- Salt and pepper
To make the homemade pesto, you’ll need:
- Fresh basil leaves
- Walnuts
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Olive Oil
How to Make Pesto Roasted Potatoes:
Step 1: Roast the Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425F, and prepare a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with oil, garlic, salt and pepper until potatoes are coated. Transfer to baking sheet, spread them out evenly, then bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and golden.
Step 2: Make the Homemade Pesto
While the potatoes are roasting, make the homemade pesto. In a blender or food processor, combine the all pesto ingredients except for olive oil and process until well-combined. Then, continue to process on low speed while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary. Process until ingredients are blended into a smooth, creamy pesto.
Step 3: Toss Potatoes with Homemade Pesto
Once the potatoes are done, add the pesto (you can do this right on the baking sheet) and toss them until coated.
Step 4: Garnish Pesto Roasted Potatoes and Serve!
Garnish potatoes with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and/or hemp seeds and serve. If you like, serve them over a handful of greens like arugula or baby spinach. Enjoy!
Substitution Suggestions:
- Potatoes: While I recommend red potatoes for roasting, you can really use whatever potato variety you prefer.
- Olive oil: Instead of olive oil, you can use another oil like avocado or canola to roast the potatoes. However, I would stick to olive oil for the pesto for best results.
- Walnuts: In the pesto, I usually use walnuts, but have also made it with pine nuts and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Both worked well!
- Parmesan cheese: To make this recipe vegan, you could substitute a vegan parmesan “cheese”.
More Healthy Side Dish Recipes:
- Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Garlic Green Beans
- Curry Roasted Cauliflower
- Citrus Arugula Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Crispy Pesto Roasted Potatoes (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
For the Roasted Potatoes:
- 6-7 medium red potatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
For the Homemade Pesto:
For Serving (optional):
- arugula or baby spinach
- hemp seeds, (learn hemp seeds' nutrition benefits)
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F, and prepare a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with oil, garlic, salt and pepper until potatoes are coated.
- Transfer to baking sheet, spread them out evenly, then bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and golden.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the all pesto ingredients except for olive oil and process until well-combined.
- Continue to process on low speed while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary. Process until ingredients are blended into a smooth, creamy pesto.
- When potatoes are done, add the pesto (you can do this right on the baking sheet) and toss them until coated. Garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and/or hemp seeds. If you like, serve them over a handful of greens like arugula or baby spinach.
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