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.
Roasted Garlic Basil Pesto Potatoes with Arugula
Ingredients
- 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
- 1 large garlic head
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 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
- 3 cups (750 mL) baby arugula, chopped
- Fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) hemp hearts, for garnish
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories390
- protein7g
- fat23g
- saturated fat3g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates42g
- sugars3g
- fibre7g
- sodium207mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line extra-large baking sheet (15 x 21 in/38 x 53 cm) with parchment paper.
02
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.
03
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.
04
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.
05
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.
06
Remove potatoes and garlic from oven. Carefully unwrap garlic bulb and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
07
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 smoothu2014you can add a touch more oil if necessary to get it going.
08
This is the important part where you need to act fast; I like to assemble the salad very quickly so that itu2019s 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.
Angela Liddon
Angela Liddon is the founder, recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind OhSheGlows.com—an award-winning destination for energizing, plant-based recipes, with millions of visitors each month. Her first cookbook, The Oh She Glows Cookbook (Penguin Canada, 2014), is an international best-seller. Angela and her family live in Oakville, Ontario.
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