My neighbor showed up to Sunday dinner last month carrying a little foil-lined sheet pan that completely stole the show. I had a roast in the oven, a salad on the counter, and still everyone kept raving about her “secret” side dish: oven baked 3-ingredient pesto roasted potatoes. It’s nothing fancy—just baby potatoes, a jar of basil pesto, and a little grated Parmesan—but the way they crisp up in the oven and soak in all that garlicky, herby flavor makes them taste like something from a cozy neighborhood bistro. This is the kind of recipe you pull out when you’re short on time, low on mental energy, and still want to bring something to the table that people will talk about on the drive home.
These pesto roasted potatoes are perfect alongside simple roasted chicken, grilled steak, or baked salmon, and they’re just as at home next to a store-bought rotisserie chicken on a busy weeknight. I like to pile them onto a big platter and sprinkle a bit of extra Parmesan over the top, then serve with a crisp green salad or steamed green beans to balance the richness. They also make a great brunch side with scrambled eggs or a frittata, and leftovers are amazing tossed into a lunch salad or reheated in a skillet until re-crisped.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Pesto Roasted PotatoesServings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds baby gold potatoes, halved
1/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet completely with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, making sure the foil comes up the sides a bit to catch any pesto that might spread.
Rinse the baby potatoes and pat them very dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. This helps them crisp up in the oven instead of steaming.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved baby potatoes and basil pesto. Toss well until every potato is evenly coated in the vibrant green pesto, making sure some gets into the crevices and cut sides.
Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the pesto-coated potatoes and toss again so the cheese clings to the pesto. The mixture will look a bit thick and sticky—that’s what helps create those crispy, golden edges.
Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet, cut sides down as much as possible. Give them a little space between each piece so they roast instead of steam.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the bottoms are deeply golden and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. If you like extra crisp edges, you can leave them in for an additional 5 minutes, keeping an eye on them so the cheese doesn’t burn.
Once roasted, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the potatoes sit for 2–3 minutes on the hot pan to set the crispy coating. Then gently loosen them from the foil with a thin spatula, scraping up any cheesy, pesto-y bits stuck to the foil.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, scraping any remaining crispy bits from the foil over the top. Serve hot, straight from the pan or dish, while the edges are still crunchy and the pesto is fragrant.
Variations & Tips
If you have a few extra minutes, you can swap in homemade basil pesto for an even fresher flavor, but a good-quality store-bought pesto is exactly what makes this such a realistic weeknight or Sunday-dinner side. For a slightly lighter version, use a bit less pesto and add a splash of olive oil to help it coat. If you prefer sharper flavor, try using Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan, or do a half-and-half mix. You can also change up the potatoes: baby red potatoes or fingerlings work just as well, and you can even use larger Yukon golds cut into 1-inch chunks. For extra color, toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes during the last 10 minutes of roasting so they blister and burst into the potatoes. To make it dairy-free, skip the Parmesan and use a dairy-free pesto; the potatoes will still crisp up nicely from the oil in the pesto alone. Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days—reheat them on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes to bring back the crispiness, or toss them into a lunch salad or breakfast hash to stretch the effort into another meal.
