Hasselback Baby Potatoes with Orange Basil Pesto

Hasselback Baby Potatoes with Orange Basil Pesto are a sophisticated, flavorful, fresh, yet simple side dish. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and vegan.

It’s the week of Valentine’s recipes to take you from dinner to dessert for a romantic, homebody date night in. A couple days ago I shared with you guys one of my favorite, easier salmon recipes – Blood Orange Rosemary Salmon en Papillote.

With that delish recipe you’ve got a beautiful, fresh entree and a veggie side dish all in one….but Valentine’s Day definitely calls for one more side, and that’s where these little cuties come in handy: Hasselback Baby Potatoes with Orange Basil Pesto.

First of all, quick little PSA: while the orange basil pesto tastes delicious on sweet potatoes as well, please don’t be afraid of white potatoes! They get such a bad rep in the health foodie world, and for absolutely no reason! They pack quite a nutrient-laden little punch!

• white potatoes have more potassium than a banana
• you can get half your daily vitamin C intake from a medium potato
• while they’re often associated with high-fat and high-sodium foods (read: french fries, potato chips), any fat or salt comes entirely from the preparation method, as potatoes themselves have zero fat, sodium, or cholesterol
• full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals
• contain resistant starch

By using little golden baby potatoes (or any baby or fingerling potato you prefer), the smaller size also means shorter cook time, which totally vibes with my lower-maintenance-but-still-looks-impressive Valentine’s vibe.

Full disclosure, the most hands-on part of this recipe is the preparation of thinly slicing the baby potatoes partially through. You want the potatoes to end up still intact on the bottom, but with that classic fanned appearance on top. I used a ceramic paring knife to make the cuts and it worked very well!

Once the potatoes are sliced, place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little oil (any type will do!), sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven. They’ll get pretty crispy and delicious on the bottom (or whichever side is touching the baking sheet).

While the potatoes are roasting you can prep this SUPER fresh orange basil pesto sauce (or it can be prepared and refrigerated up to a day in advance).

Now, it’s not a “true” pesto, in that there is no dairy, no nuts, nothing like that. But it has a creaminess that’s very reminiscent of a pesto. Plus basil. Pesto always has to have basil in my book! Just throw your fresh basil, spinach, orange juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.

Once your crispy, roasted hasselback baby potatoes come out of the oven transfer them to a serving platter and drizzle with orange basil pesto. And magically, they’re transformed from something super ordinary to a really special, flavorful, vibrant potato dish.

Also – while we’ve established that you don’t need to fear white potatoes, if sweet potatoes are your thing, orange basil pesto works great on that, too. And salmon. And chicken. And….basically everything. 😉 Which is a good thing, because you’ll probably have some of this delicious-with-everything orange basil pesto leftover.

If you give these beautiful little Hasselback Baby Potatoes with Orange Basil Pesto a try, be sure to let me know! Share your thoughts in the comments, shoot me a DM or an email, or tell us about it on the NTF Facebook page or on Instagram (tag me @nutritiontofit and use the hashtag #nutritiontofit so we can all follow along!).

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5 from 1 vote

Hasselback Baby Potatoes with Orange Basil Pesto

Hasselback Baby Potatoes with Orange Basil Pesto are a sophisticated, flavorful, fresh, yet simple side dish. 

free from: gluten, dairy, soy, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 218kcal

Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT

Ingredients

Hasselback Baby Potatoes:

• 10-12 baby golden potatoes (enough for 2 servings)
• 2 tsp olive oil (or oil of choice)
• salt + pepper

Orange Basil Pesto:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Thinly slice each potato (about 1/4-inch thick slices), being careful to not cut all the way through. The potato should still be intact on the bottom.
• Place potatoes on a baking sheet, lightly drizzle with oil (no more than a tablespoon should be needed), and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Bake potatoes for 25-35 minutes, or until crispy, golden brown.
• To prepare Orange Basil Pesto, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process on high 1-2 minutes, or until smoothly combined.
• When the potatoes are done, transfer them to a serving platter or to your individual plates and drizzle with the orange basil pesto.

Notes

You can use any type of baby potato or fingerling potato you prefer - nutrition information will vary.

You can use any type of high-heat stable oil you prefer (oils with greater flavor, like coconut oil, will be tasted in the final product) - nutrition information will vary.

If you prefer lighter sauce on your potatoes, you may have leftover Orange Basil Pesto - this is okay! It is super delicious to add to chicken, fish, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tofu, sandwiches, wraps, bean burgers, etc. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or freeze up to 1-2 months.