Red Potatoes with Walnut Mint Pesto

Walnut Pesto Potatoes

DESCRIPTION

This spring dish is loosely based on the classic combo of peas and potatoes, with walnuts adding nutty crunch and a nutritious twist to the flavorful pesto.

 

Excerpted from Easy Everyday Mediterranean Diet Cookbook © 2020 by Deanna Segrave-Daly and Serena Ball. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Total Time
30 Mins
Serves
8
Meal
Course

Total Time

Prep Time
10 Mins
Cook Time
20 Mins
Total Time
30 Mins

Nutrition

Calories
257 cal
Saturated Fat
2 g
Cholesterol
2 mg
Sodium
168 mg
Carbohydrates
37 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Protein
8 g

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen green peas, divided and thawed

  • 2½ pounds red potatoes

  • 2 cups chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (1 ounce)

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Preparation

  1. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place them in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes just start to feel soft when tested with a fork, about 12 minutes. Add 1 cup of the peas to the pan and then immediately drain the potatoes and peas.

  2. While the potatoes are cooking, in a food processor, put the parsley, mint, cheese, walnuts, garlic, and salt and pulse until roughly chopped (about ten times). Scrape down the sides of the processor, add the remaining 1 cup of peas and pulse until roughly chopped. Scrape down the sides. Turn the processor on and drizzle in the olive oil. Once the oil has been added, immediately turn off the processor so the pesto remains slightly chunky.

  3. Place the potatoes and peas in a serving bowl, then add the pesto and toss gently to coat. Serve at room temperature.