Skip The Pasta, Make These Pesto Roasted Potatoes Instead

The combination of olive oil, basil, and garlic makes up one of my favorite sauces – pesto. And while I love adding this green sauce to pasta dishes, there are so many other great uses for this flavorful sauce! The next time you’re in the mood for a pesto dish, skip the pasta and try these delicious pesto roasted potatoes instead!

Ingredients for Pesto Roasted Potatoes

To make pesto roasted potatoes, you’ll need similar ingredients to most pasta dishes that use pesto as the sauce. But instead of pasta, we’ll be using potatoes in this flavorful side dish. To make these roasted potatoes, you’ll need:

• Red potatoes
• Olive oil
• Basil
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese

This simple list of ingredients makes up a very flavorful dish! So, grab everything you’ll need and get ready to whip up this simple side for tonight’s dinner.

How to Make Pesto Roasted Potatoes

After gathering your ingredients, it’s time to start prepping! First, get your potatoes ready by chopping them into small, even pieces. If you’re using petite red potatoes, you can simply chop the potatoes into quarters. But if your red potatoes are larger, it’s a good idea to cut the potatoes into smaller, bite-sized pieces for even cooking.

When your potatoes are ready, toss them into a bowl and set them aside while you prepare the ingredients for your pesto sauce. First, finely chop the fresh basil by using a sharp knife or running the basil leaves through a food processor. Then, mince your garlic cloves or press the cloves in a garlic press. If you plan on using fresh parmesan cheese, now is the time to finely grate the cheese, too.

Now that all your ingredients are prepped, add everything into the bowl with the potatoes, including the finely chopped basil, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Use your hands or a pair of spoons to toss the potatoes until they’re well coated with oil and seasoning.

After coating the potatoes, spread them in one even layer over a large baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the preheated oven to bake. The potatoes will cook for a total of 30 minutes. Around halfway through the cook time, remove the potatoes from the oven and use a spatula to stir the potatoes, flipping them so that each side cooks evenly.

The potatoes are done cooking when the outside of each potato is browned and crispy, while the inside is still tender. After the potatoes are finished cooking, transfer them to a serving dish and allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve these as a wonderful side dish. Enjoy!

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