Red Pesto Smashed Potatoes

Add a bit of extra flavor and flair to crispy roasted smashed potatoes by topping them with some zesty red pesto sauce.

Smashed potatoes are one of the best ways to maximize the crunch potential of potatoes.

By flattening the potatoes after baking them to a soft texture, you maximize the surface area and also create all sorts of peaks and crevices that add texture which bakes up golden and crispy.

Take that glorious preparation, and spoon on some super flavorful red pesto sauce made from sun dried tomatoes. The flavor combination is perfection.

Ingredients

You can make red pesto smashed potatoes with whole food ingredients, or if you want to speed things up you can swap in store-bought red pesto.

Potatoes: Small potatoes are best. You can really use any type of potato to make smashed potatoes but floury potatoes which tend to be higher in starch are best. These potatoes have a drier interior which helps them crisp up better while maintaining a fluffy and light interior.

Olive oil: Olive oil is a natural choice to complement red pesto but you can use other types of neutral oil like sunflower, canola or avocado. Butter adds really nice buttery flavor but opt for clarified if you can since it has a higher smoke point and is less likely to burn at high temperatures.

Red pesto: The red pesto is a key ingredient and brings a lot of the flavor. Making your own red pesto is really easy - you basically just throw a few simple ingredients in a food processor. If you want to make things quicker, you can use store bought red pesto. There are a lot of really nice brands to choose from.

Grated parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a pop of salty umami flavor that complements the red pesto.

Fresh basil: Fresh basil brings a bright and sweet note that contrasts with the deeper umami notes of the red pesto.

Seasoning: Depending on how salty you like things (and how salty your red pesto is to start), you may want to add a bit more salt. Personally I find the potatoes are sufficiently seasoned with just red pesto and parmesan cheese so I suggest tasting first and adding more salt if you think it's necessary.

Equipment

You'll need a large parchment lined baking sheet. The parchment paper helps to prevent the potatoes from sticking and also makes cleanup easier.

To smash down the potatoes you can use a lot of different things you might have in your kitchen. For example something as simple as a small bowl as shown in the photos below.

Alternatively you can use a rolling pin or sturdy glass.

Instructions

The basic idea is simple. You need to first roast the potatoes totally bare until they're soft enough to smash down.

Smashing them down increases the surface area and texture which maximizes the crunch factor.

After you've smashed the potatoes down, drizzle them liberally with oil.

Once the potatoes are smashed and oiled they go back in the oven to crisp up. You'll only add the red pesto near the very end of baking.

Since the red pesto contains a lot of fat, it can burn if roasted for the same amount of time as the potatoes.

Making Ahead

If you want to make these potatoes ahead of time, you can prebake them and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.

When you're ready then just smash them down, drizzle with oil and bake until crispy.

Serving Suggestion

These potatoes are best served hot and complemented really well with some grated parmesan and fresh basil as a garnish.

Red pesto smashed potatoes would make a really nice accompaniment to roasts, for example they would go really nicely with a whole roast poussin spatchcock style, prosciutto wrapped meatloaf, or crispy pork belly porchetta.

You can also serve them as part of an appetizer spread or charcuterie board, maybe with a bit of roast garlic and parmesan aioli for maximum indulgence.

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