This is one of those amazing side dishes that disappears incredibly fast! It’s a fancy, restaurant-worthy recipe that is sure to impress special guests. (If you are serving a large crowd, I recommend doubling the recipe, since it only serves four as a side.)
If you’ve been skeptical about arugula in the past, I encourage you to give this recipe a try; the spicy, peppery-tasting green pairs beautifully with a bold and bright pesto. If you can’t find baby arugula, be sure to chop regular arugula into bite-sized pieces so it’s easier to eat. Hemp hearts add a kick of protein and omega-3 fatty acids for a nutritional boost. This dish is amazing served warm, but the chilled leftovers taste great as well.
Excerpted from Oh She Glows Every Day by Angela Liddon. © Glo Bakery Corporation, 2016. Photography, Food and Prop Styling by Ashley McLaughlin. Lifestyle Photography © Sandy Nicholson. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada Books Inc., a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
For the potatoes
2 lbs (1 kg) Yukon Gold or red potatoes, unpeeled, chopped into 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes (about 6 cups/1.5 L)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) + 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted garlic
1 large garlic head
1/2 tsp (2 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
For the pesto
1 cup (250 mL) lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 Tbsp (45 to 60 mL) hemp hearts
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
3 cups (750 mL) baby arugula, chopped
Fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) hemp hearts, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line extra-large baking sheet (15 x 21 in/38 x 53 cm) with parchment paper.
Place potatoes on baking sheet and toss with oil until thoroughly coated. Spread potatoes into even layer. Season with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper.
Slice top off garlic bulb so all individual garlic cloves are trimmed. Place garlic bulb on square of aluminum foil (about 8 in/20 cm square) and drizzle top of cloves with olive oil. Wrap garlic bulb entirely in foil and place on baking sheet with potatoes.
Roast potatoes and garlic for 20 minutes, then remove pan from oven and flip potatoes with a spatula. Return potatoes and garlic to oven and continue roasting for 15 to 20 minutes more, until potatoes are golden and fork-tender.
In food processor, combine pesto ingredients and process until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Keep pesto in processor because we will add the roasted garlic as the final step.
Remove potatoes and garlic from oven. Carefully unwrap garlic bulb and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
Turn off oven and return potatoes to oven with the door ajar so they stay warm. (You can also put the potatoes into an oven-safe casserole dish so the dish stays warm when serving.) Squeeze roasted garlic cloves out of the bulb. You should have about 2 Tbsp (30 mL) roasted garlic. Add into food processor with pesto. Process until mostly smooth—you can add a touch more oil if necessary to get it going.
This is the important part where you need to act fast; I like to assemble the salad very quickly so that it’s warm when I serve it. Grab a large serving bowl and place arugula in bottom of bowl. You can break arugula up into smaller pieces with your hands a bit. Then, remove potatoes from oven and quickly place in serving bowl on top of arugula. Toss potatoes and arugula with pesto until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sometimes I add another drizzle of lemon juice if I feel like the dish needs more acidity. Sprinkle on hemp hearts and serve immediately.
