Brown Butter and Basil Pesto Baby Potatoes Recipe

Brown butter and basil pesto baby potatoes garnished with toasted pine nuts.

Brown Butter and Basil Pesto Baby Potatoes Recipe

These pesto baby potatoes are a wonderful flavour packed side dish that work wonderfully with a host of meat or fish dishes. Baby potatoes are boiled and then fried in butter until it becomes nutty and brown before being finished with my homemade basil pesto.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Modern European

Keyword basil pesto potatoes, new potatoes with pesto, pesto baby potatoes, pesto potatoes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 627kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

500 g Baby (New) Potatoes 3-3½ Cups
1½ teaspoon Salt For boiling the potatoes
35 g Butter 2 Tbsp
2 tablespoon Pine Nuts For garnish
125 g Basil Pesto ½ Cup (See below for a homemade pesto recipe

For Homemade Basil Pesto:

20 g Pine Nuts 2 Tbsp
25 g Basil Leaves ¾-1 Cup
15 g Parmesan Cheese 3 tablespoon
2 Garlic Cloves
50 ml Olive Oil 3 tablespoon + 1 Tsp

Instructions

Bring an 18cm or 7-9" saucepan of salted water to a boil.
When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until they are tender and cooked through.
Whilst the potatoes are boiling, either make your homemade pesto or toast the pine nuts for the garnish. Set this aside for later.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and allow them to steam dry for 2-3 minutes.
Heat the butter in a 20cm or 8" frying pan over a medium-high heat, and when the butter is foaming, toss in the potatoes and fry for 4-5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the pesto, stir to combine, and serve with the toasted pine nuts.

For Homemade Basil Pesto:

Add the basil leaves to a mini blender or pestle and mortar
Toast the pine nuts in a small dry frying pan and add them to the basil. You can toast the pine nuts for the garnish and the pesto at the same time and separate them out.
Add the remaining ingredients for the pesto and blitz until you have a texture you are happy with.
I like to start my pesto in a mini blender and transfer it to a pestle and mortar, and pound it for a minute or two to get the oils from the basil and pine nuts flowing.

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