Roasted Garlic Basil Pesto Potatoes
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free
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This is one of those comforting side dishes that disappears incredibly fast! It’s an irresistible recipe that is sure to impress special guests. If you’ve been skeptical about arugula in the past, I encourage you to give this recipe a try; the spicy, peppery-tasting green pairs beautifully with my bold and bright hemp heart pesto. Hemp hearts add a kick of protein and omega-3 fatty acids for a nutritional boost (and it's nut-free, to boot). This dish is so cozy served warm, but the chilled leftovers taste great as well. This recipe is lightly adapted from Oh She Glows Every Day (2016).
Yield
4 side servings
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Cook time
45 Minutes
Total Time
1 Hour, 5 Minutes
Ingredients:
For the potatoes:
- 2 pounds (900 g) Yukon Gold, yellow, or red potatoes, unpeeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted garlic:
- 1 large (50 g) garlic head
- 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the pesto:
- 1 cup (27 g) lightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons (26 g) hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 3 cups (70 g) baby arugula*
- Fresh lemon juice, for serving
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts, for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line an extra-large baking sheet (about 15×21-inches) with parchment paper.
- For the potatoes: Place the chopped potatoes on the baking sheet and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil until thoroughly coated. Spread the potatoes into an even, single layer. Season with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper.
- For the roasted garlic: Slice the top off the garlic bulb so all of the individual garlic cloves are trimmed and exposed. Place the garlic bulb on a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and drizzle the top of the cloves with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap the garlic bulb entirely in the foil and place it on the baking sheet next to the potatoes.
- Roast the potatoes and garlic for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the potatoes with a spatula. Spread into a single layer. Return the potatoes and tinfoil-wrapped garlic to the oven and continue roasting for 15 to 25 minutes more, until the potatoes are golden and fork-tender. You want the potatoes to be lightly browned so they hold up well when mixing with the pesto later on. If your potatoes are not ready after 40 minutes of cook time, remove the garlic from the oven and continue roasting the potatoes a bit longer.
- While the potatoes roast, start making the pesto. In a food processor, add the basil leaves, hemp hearts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Leave the pesto in the processor bowl because we will soon add the roasted garlic as the final step.
- If needed, wash and dry the baby arugula. Place it into a large serving bowl. I like to break up the arugula with my hands a bit to ensure the pieces are bite-sized. Now it’s time to enjoy a tea or coffee while you wait for the potatoes and garlic to finish roasting!
- Remove the potatoes and garlic from the oven. Carefully unwrap the garlic bulb and let cool for about 5 minutes, until it’s cool enough to handle.
- Turn off the oven and return the potatoes to the oven with the door ajar so the potatoes stay warm while you finish the pesto. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the bulb. You should have 2 packed tablespoons of roasted garlic. Add it to the food processor with the pesto. Process until mostly smooth—you can add a touch more oil if necessary to get it going.
- Assemble the salad: I like to assemble the salad as quickly as possible so that it’s warm when I serve it. Spoon the warm potatoes on top of the arugula. This will help the arugula wilt. Gently toss the potatoes and arugula with all of the pesto until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of lemon juice to make the flavours pop (I usually add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice and a couple pinches of salt). Toss to combine. Sprinkle on the hemp hearts and serve immediately.
*If you can’t find baby arugula, you can use regular arugula. Just be sure to chop regular arugula into bite-size pieces. Discard any overly thick stems.
On the rare chance that you have any leftovers, this dish works great served as a cold potato salad. Just serve it straight from the fridge!