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These Pesto Potatoes are such a simple and savory side dish! Tender potatoes, coated with flavorful pesto and roasted to crispy perfection.
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Pesto Potatoes are a fantastic side dish. Diced potatoes coated in pesto and roasted or grilled to perfection. So easy and packed with cheesy, nutty flavor! Pesto is so tasty on just about anything: pasta, sandwiches, chicken, veggies, and especially potatoes. If you haven’t used pesto much in cooking, you must give it a try; it’s sure to become one of your favorite new recipes. Whether you are looking to switch up your boring side-dish rut or trying to impress guests with your amazing culinary skills, this easy potato recipe is for you!
I came up with this recipe when I needed a side dish to some steak that we were cooking up that night. I had some potatoes, pesto, and parmesan cheese on hand from some other recipes that I had made that week. I diced the potatoes, tossed them in pesto, sprinkled on the cheese and baked them up in the oven. They turned out better than I could have imagined, so easy and loaded with flavor. They were such a big hit that now we make them regularly as a side dish. Sometimes I like to dip them in a little bit of ranch or sour cream for even more flavor but it’s definitely not necessary.
Ingredients in Pesto Potatoes
This is such a great side dish. It looks like you spent all kinds of time on it, but the dish comes together in absolutely no time! For the potatoes we like to use Russet Potatoes – red potatoes, baby potatoes, or Yukon gold potatoes also work really well. For the pesto sauce use our homemade basil pesto or get the big jar at Costco. Sprinkle on a little Parmesan Cheese – this adds enough savory flavor, that no salt is necessary.
Suggestions for the Perfect Pesto
Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy and is made with basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. For these pesto-roasted potatoes, you can make your own pesto or purchase it pre-made. Try our delicious homemade pesto recipe; it is my favorite! We use fresh basil leaves, whole cloves garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor or a blender. But if you are short on time I have used a really great pre-made option at Costco in their refrigerated section. There are also dry mixes you can buy at the grocery store, but homemade is definitely the best in my opinion.
Roasting vs. Grilling
- Roasting: We usually throw these potatoes onto a sheet pan or baking sheet in the oven and roast them at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. They’re crisp, tender inside and perfectly flavorful roasted potatoes.
- Grilling: Sometimes in the summer, instead of cooking with the oven and heating up the house, we will just wrap these in foil and cook them over the grill. Just cook them over medium heat. They are ready to eat when you peel back some of the foil and potatoes are fork tender and break apart easily.
Add Extra Flavor
- Try a fresh squeeze of lemon juice on top of the potatoes for a bright, citrusy addition.
- Top with a dash of sea salt and toss in a teaspoon of black pepper for extra taste.
- Drizzle potatoes with a little extra virgin olive oil or spray with cooking spray before roasting.
How to Store and Reheat Pesto Potatoes
For proper storage, make sure to drain the leftovers on parchment paper, and make sure they’re cooled completely. Place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. They won’t freeze very well, so try and use them up from the fridge within a week. To reheat, place on a baking sheet and warm up in the oven until they’re crisp. You can also microwave individual servings in a microwave safe bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just double check your pesto if you are using store bought.
No, it is not necessary to boil them, these cook up perfectly with just the roasting.
If you want your potatoes a little crisper, soak them in some cold water then pat them dry before roasting. Soaking the potatoes in water for at least 30 minutes removes the starch giving the potatoes a more crisp outer layer as it cooks.
READ NEXT: Best BBQ Side Dishes
What to Serve with Pesto Potatoes
We like to make zesty potatoes to accompany when we are grilling up steaks or chicken. They are great on their own but we like to dip ours in sour cream or Ranch dressing. Try them with any of these delicious recipes:
- New York Steaks
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Pesto Chicken with Bacon and Roasted Red Peppers
- Honey Mustard Nectarine Pork Kabobs
- Grilled Malibu Chicken
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Pesto Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium russet potatoes
- 3/4 cup Pesto Sauce we use our homemade pesto or get the big jar at Costco
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Scrub (but don't peel) potatoes and cut into large cubes then place all the pieces in a large plastic bag.
- Add about ¾ cup pesto sauce to the bag and shake it around until the pesto is coating all the potato pieces.
- Pour the contents of the bag out onto a cookie sheet. Arrange the potatoes so they are laying flat then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they begin to look lightly toasted.
- Serve as a side dish to any meal.
Notes
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- Roasting: We usually throw these potatoes onto a sheet pan or baking sheet in the oven and roast them at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes. They’re crisp, tender inside and perfectly flavorful roasted potatoes.
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- Grilling: Sometimes in the summer, instead of cooking with the oven and heating up the house, we will just wrap these in foil and cook them over the grill. Just cook them over medium heat. They are ready to eat when you peel back some of the foil and potatoes are fork tender and break apart easily.
- For proper storage, make sure to drain the leftovers on parchment paper, and make sure they’re cooled completely. Place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Nutrition Information
It sounds wonderful – but about how many pounds is 6 potatoes?
6 medium potatoes is about 3 pounds.
the perfect side! Love these!
These were fantastic! I threw them on the grill and they came out perfectly!
Such a yummy easy side to make. I love that huge pesto jar available at Costco too!
Wow. This has become a favorite in our household. “Please make the Pesto potatoes” is often heard for Sunday dinners. So easy, so flavorful and and amazing. The trick of getting the cookie sheet hot first is fantastic! Thank you for this great recipe!
i am tripling the recipe for easter gathering…..can I boil the potatoes a day prior?
We have never tried it that way so we can’t say for sure. If you try it out, let us know how it turns out!
It would be great if you would encourage people to mix it all up in a bowl instead of using single use plastic to coat the potatoes ♻️????
When do we add the Parmesan Cheese?
You sprinkle it on before you bake it.
Are all these yummy recipes in your new cookbook? I’m spending a lot of time downloading recipes; maybe I should buy the book!
There are over a hundred of our favorites from the site. And over 50 new recipes just for the cookbook!
What a brilliantly simple recipe, I think I would try it with Red Pesto too!