Parmesan Pesto Roasted Potatoes

These four ingredient Parmesan Pesto Roasted Potatoes will become a staple side dish in your home! They only take minutes to prepare and the bold flavors of the parmesan cheese and pesto are sure to win you over! 

These Parmesan Pesto Roasted Potatoes were a recipe I first tested out back in early August. Bad move. It was almost 100 degrees that day and cranking the oven to 400 degrees was not the smartest thing I’ve done. However, when they came out of the oven all crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and full of pesto flavor, I didn’t regret it for a second.

Roasted potatoes is probably something that isn’t new to you. Although, if it is, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how delicious they are when prepared this way. A basic roasting method for potatoes is to cut them into a large dice, toss them together with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in the oven at around 400-425° F. If you’re looking for an even easier way to do it and one with extra flavor, then I highly suggest giving this parmesan pesto version a try.

To make this recipe as easy as possible I used a bag of tricolored baby potatoes. The bags of potatoes generally include red, white and yellow potatoes. Sometimes purple ones are included as well, like the bag I used. The potatoes have thin skin, which is perfect for roasting because the skin will crisp quickly. 

Can I Use a Different Variety of Potato?

I’ll be the first to admit that bags of tricolored baby potatoes aren’t the most economical. If you aren’t interested in the having the different colors or don’t mind doing a little more prep, you can definitely substitute them. I recommend substituting with Yukon Gold or red potatoes. They have thin skins and a creamier flesh, which will give you a great roasted potato.

Whether your doing the dicing on your own or using a bag of baby potatoes, it’s important that they’re as close to the same size as possible. This will ensure they are all cooked properly and you don’t wind up with some that are mushy and others that are still raw. 

How to Prep the Potatoes for Roasting

Prepping the potatoes for roasting is beyond easy and should only take about 5 minutes assuming you’re using potatoes. If you aren’t it will probably take 10 minutes, which is still nothing when it comes to prep time.

1. Rinse the potatoes under cold water and scrub off any dirt. 
2. If using baby potatoes cut the larger ones in half so the potatoes are approximately all the same size.
3. Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. The pan can be lined with foil if you want less cleanup. Lay the potatoes out on the prepared pan, spoon the pesto onto the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together with your hands until all of the potatoes are coated in the pesto.
4. Grate the parmesan cheese, but don’t add it to the potatoes at this point. It will be added to them during the last 2 minutes of roasting.

Aside from the pesto and parmesan cheese, there’s one more magical ingredients that’s not to be skipped. Fresh squeezed lemon juice. The lemon juice gets squeezed over the potatoes after they’ve finished roasting in the oven. It adds a wonderful bright, fresh flavor that goes perfect with the pesto and parmesan. I did the same pesto lemon combination in this popular Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Pesto Pasta and it’s wonderful! 

What Can I Serve the Potatoes With?

Below are some of my favorite recipes to serve the parmesan pesto roasted potatoes with, although honestly I could eat them with just about anything.

1. Broccoli Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
2. Sheet Pan Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Broccoli
3. Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes
4. Fish Piccata
5. Skillet Lemon Rosemary Turkey Meatballs 

More Potato Side Dishes

Chimichurri Potato Salad

Skinny Cheesy Potato Casserole

Cheesy Chipotle Lime Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes