Pesto Smashed Potatoes

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Pesto Smashed Potatoes make a great side dish! These crispy potatoes are coated in pesto and baked until golden brown.

I first tried making smashed potatoes several months ago with Crispy Truffle Smashed Potatoes. It didn’t take long for our family to fall in love. Smashed Potatoes are the perfect amount of crispy and soft potato goodness. And they are open to so many different possibilities.

When we got the craving for them again recently, I decided to take a summery turn and make these Pesto Smashed Potatoes. The sweet summer pesto is the perfect sauce for these potatoes.

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make them.

Pesto Smashed Potatoes Ingredients:

You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to make these potatoes. Most of which you might already have on hand.

• BABY RED POTATOES: You’ll want to use baby potatoes for this recipe because they are the perfect size for smashing. I used baby red potatoes in this recipe because the skin is thin and can be left on when cooking. You can also use baby yukon gold, purple potatoes or a blend.
• SALT/PEPPER/GRANULATED GARLIC: My favorite blend of seasonings to season potatoes. You can substitute garlic powder for the granulated garlic. If you only have garlic salt, omit the additional salt in the recipe.
• BASIL PESTO: You can make your own Basil Pesto or you can buy your favorite brand.
• PARMESAN CHEESE: Freshly shredded parmesan cheese will work the best.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Pesto Smashed Potatoes are one of those side dishes that seems like it’s a lot of work but they are actually pretty easy to make. Follow along with these step by step photos and instructions to guide you every step of the way.

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• STEP #1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Just until they are fork tender. Drain and cool.
• STEP #2: After the potatoes are cool toss them in pesto, granulated garlic, salt and pepper.
• STEP #3: Place potatoes on a baking sheet and use a glass to gently smash. Make sure not to press too hard you don’t want to break the potatoes.
• STEP #4: Bake the potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy. About 25 minutes.
• STEP #5: Drizzle with more pesto and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Storage and Leftovers:

These potatoes are best eaten the day that they are made. If you do have leftovers keep them in the refrigerator and rewarm them in the oven.

Looking for more recipes using Pesto? Try these:

Fried Calamari with Pesto Aioli. Making this restaurant favorite at home is easier than you think!

Pesto Tortellini is a quick and easy vegetarian weeknight dinner recipe!

Pesto Grilled Cheese is a family favorite!