Roasted potatoes with pistachio pesto {vegan}

Meghan is the kind of kid who decides if she likes a food or not based on how it looks.  I suspect she’s not the only kid out there who does this.  So when she looked at these potatoes, she quickly declared, “I don’t like that kind of potatoes.”

Of course not.  They look…different.  There’s green specks.  The conversation went sort of like this:

Me:  Do you like pistachios?

Meghan:  I love pistachios!

Me:  Do you like roasted potatoes?

Meghan:  Yes!  Roasted potatoes are my favorite kind of potato.

Me:  Well, these are roasted pistachio potatoes!

She looked skeptical, but tried a bite and quickly changed her mind.  “I like pistachio potatoes!”

Guess who wants to be just like his big sister?

Yep.  Luke.  When he saw Meghan eating her pistachio potatoes, he immediately did the same and followed it up with a “Yu-mmy!”

I’m not sure how long this phase of doing whatever Meghan does will last, but I’ll take full advantage at the dinner table while I can.

I originally made this recipe because we’ve been getting tons of potatoes in our CSA box and even though plain roasted potatoes are one of Meghan’s favorites, I was getting sick of them.

This is a fun way to dress up plain potatoes and add some extra nutrition.  Since Luke is dairy intolerant, I used nutritional yeast where traditionally cheese would be in this recipe.  You can certainly use Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese if you prefer, but my whole family loved it with the nutritional yeast.  The nutritional yeast also adds B vitamins, iron, protein, and selenium.

This is a perfect recipe if you have fresh mint or parsley growing in your garden. (Lucky you!)  I love the flavor these herbs provide in this dish.  And you just can’t beat a healthy side that the adults like just as much as the kids.

Roasted potatoes with pistachio pesto {vegan}

A healthy side dish packed full of flavor

• Author: Healthy Happy Mama
• Prep Time: 20 - 30
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 25 - 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 3 - 4 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 5 medium potatoes, cut into 1–2 inch pieces.
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used grapeseed oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsely leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Put your potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and add the 1 tablespoon of oil and salt.  Toss to coat the potatoes evenly.  Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown (and crispy if you like them that way!), stirring the potatoes around at least once during that time.
2. While the potatoes are roasting, prepare your pesto.  In a skillet over medium heat, dry toast your pistachios for about 5 minutes.  Allow them to cool.  Grind 1/4 cup of the pistachios, parsley, mint, and the nutritional yeast in a food processor.  Stream in the olive oil until a paste forms.  {Use 2-3 tablespoons of oil depending on your consistency preference.}
3. When the potatoes are finished roasting, transfer them to a bowl and add the pesto.  Carefully stir to combine.  Stir in the remaining chopped pistachios.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 of 4 servings
• Calories: 261
• Sugar: 1.8g
• Sodium: 332.3mg
• Fat: 10.75g
• Carbohydrates: 37g
• Protein: 8g

Keywords: Healthy side dish