This post is part of a 30th birthday dinner party series.
When I started developing this roasted potato dish, I was looking to create a super crisp and almost fried-like potato. I came up with a great recipe using a very hot oven, but realized the day before my dinner party that it wasn’t the best idea. Crispy potatoes are like fries, they need to be served hot and immediately or else the texture and taste are compromised. With just one oven, there was no way I would be able to serve the roasted potatoes at its prime state! I made a last minute decision to forego the crispiness and instead cook them at a lower temperature. This way I could roast the potatoes and my other veggies at the same time (efficiency!) and not worry about texture too much (aka potatoes can be served warm instead of hot). The dish ended up being a little different than I initially planned, but that’s the beauty of hosting your own dinner party! There is always room for flexibility and last minute changes, after all it’s your kitchen!
Aside from my crispy miscalculation, this dish is great to make for gatherings. The potatoes are precooked in boiling water first and then roasted. The first step can be done hours in advance and it also saves a lot of time in the oven (prime real estate during a dinner party!).
To season the roasted potatoes, I topped them with a kale pesto recipe I created a few years ago. The healthier pesto is made with blanched kale, which means that it can be made and stored way ahead of time (even a week!). I love this recipe a lot and so I usually double the batch eat it with whatever I’m cooking throughout the week. I like to toss it with my favorite bean pasta
This dish is warming and perfect for chilly weather. I paired these roasted potatoes with rack of lamb, a hand salad with Greek yogurt buttermilk dressing, roasted rainbow carrots, and an earl grey chocolate cake dessert, but it would work well as part of a fancy Christmas dinner or something as humble as a potluck picnic.
*To note, the pictures throughout this post show the final image of crispy potatoes. The recipe below contains instructions for both crispy and regularly roasted potatoes.
Roasted Potatoes with Kale Pesto
- Yield: 4 Servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
Description
These potatoes are heartwarming and a great accompaniment to any roasted meat or vegetarian main dish.
Ingredients
Kale Pesto
1 medium bunch (22og) Tuscan kale
1/4 cup (15g) grated parmesan
1/4 cup (30g) walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup (112g) olive oil
1 tablespoon (10g) lemon juice
Pepper to taste
Roasted Potatoes
1 pounds (454g) fingerling potatoes
4 teaspoons (12g) sea salt, fine
2 teaspoons (5g) white vinegar
2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil
Fresh rosemary or thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Kale Pesto
1. To make the kale pesto, blanch the kale in boiling water (submerge in boiling water for a minute, then remove into a bowl with ice water to stop cooking). Drain the kale and squeeze with a kitchen towel or paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible.
2. Place blanched kale, garlic, parmesan, and walnuts inside a food processor. Process until roughly chopped. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and grind until finely chopped. Taste and add more olive oil if the pesto feels too dry.
Roasted Potatoes
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F for crispy potatoes or 425 degrees F for regular roasted potatoes. Cut the fingerling potatoes lengthwise in half. Place inside a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly tender. A knife inserted should be met with some resistance. Drain and remove into a bowl. Toss with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Use the teeth of a fork to scratch surfaces. For crispy potatoes, roast for 35 minutes flipping potatoes over in the middle. For regular potatoes, roast for 20-25 minutes and flip potatoes over every 10 minutes.
3. Dot or toss potatoes in kale pesto and serve immediately for crispy potatoes or warm for regular potatoes.
Keywords: fingerling potatoes, kale, pesto, side dish, dinner party
michelle says
Heheh. Favorite bean pasta! Mine too!
I need to make this because I eat way too much bean pasta with just olive oil and cheese.
Jessica says
Michelle- Yes!! It’s great because it also keeps in the fridge for a long time!