Potatoes I feel are one of the most versatile root vegetables in existence. One can never go wrong while cooking with potatoes. And when it comes to appetizers and sides, chances are pretty high that there’s always a potato based dish you absolutely love. I have till now shared two of my favorite potato sides on my blog – baked fries and mashed potatoes. So now here’s another one to add to my list; smashed potatoes with avocado basil pesto.

If you’ve never tried them before, you are in for a treat. Smashed potatoes are fluffy and creamy on the inside yet incredibly crisp on the outside. When baked with variety of  herbs, its absolute perfection! It’s an easy, pleasing side dish, extremely buttery and delicious and pairing it with avocado basil pesto makes it over the top flavorful with a very little effort.

So how do you make smashed potatoes? Well.. it’s pretty simple. Boil the potatoes, smash them, drizzle some oil, sprinkle your choice of herbs and seasonings, bake and enjoy! Yes.. It’s that easy. Also you can boil them off beforehand and store in the fridge. The day you wish to make these, just smash and roast. These taste fab on their own, but even better if you have have something to dip them in.

I made a quick avocado basil pesto with a handful of ingredients to go with the smashed potatoes. The traditional pesto is made of plenty of nuts and a good amount of olive oil. But this pesto is a lightened up version as it has avocado which adds creaminess and healthy fats to the pesto and has no oil or nuts. This pesto is smooth, decadent and rich and when paired with crispy smashed potatoes, it adds whole new layers of creamy texture and fresh flavors to this dish.

So go ahead and put smashed potatoes on your list of recipes to make this week and trust me you’ll be glad you did!!

Ingredients

For smashed potatoes

• 1.5 lb baby potatoes
• 3 tablespoons  olive oil
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• salt as per taste

For avocado basil pesto

• 1 small avocado
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• salt as per taste

Instructions

• Take the potatoes in a vessel and fill it with water until the potatoes are submerged. Place the vessel on high heat and add a pinch of salt to it. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let the potatoes cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes can easily be pierced through by a fork.

• Once cooked, drain the water and let the potatoes cool for about 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• On a lined baking tray, drizzle some olive oil and place the potatoes evenly. Now, using a fork, gently smash the potatoes.
• Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the potatoes and also sprinkle thyme, rosemary, pepper and salt over them.

• Bake the potatoes for 25 – 30 minutes or until the edges are crisp and golden.

• To make the avocado basil pesto, combine all the ingredients listed above for the pesto in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add some water while blending if the pesto is coarse and chunky. This will help achieve the required consistency and texture.

• Remove the potatoes from the oven and serve them either topped with pesto or serve both separately.