Good potato salads are a must for summer cookouts! This creamy pesto potato salad is one of our absolute favorites. It is so incredibly flavorful and easy to make!
I love how the roasted potatoes and the creamy basil pesto pair so well together. Along with my Smashed Potato Salad, this one is one of our favorites for summer cookouts!
Summer has just begun, and we’ve already made our Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad and this Dill Potato Salad a few times, but this pesto potato salad is truly on another level. It’s so good!
What makes this pesto potato salad so good is roasting the potatoes. It’s the same reason I roast the potatoes in my Smashed Potato Salad! Roasting adds flavor depth, rather than simply boiling or steaming.
As a fun variation, you can even use my sundried tomato pesto instead of the classic basil pesto.
Need more summer cookout sides? Try this Watermelon Feta Salad, Grilled Peach Salad, and Grilled Vegetable Platter with my homemade chimichurri sauce!
Why I Love This Recipe
- SO delicious! Roasting the potatoes brings out amazing smoky flavors.
- The homemade creamy pesto is delicious! It’s the perfect excuse to use up all that beautiful sweer summer basil.
- Make-ahead friendly!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this creamy pesto potato salad! As always, here are a few kitchen notes. The detailed ingredient list with quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
- Baby potatoes: These have a smooth texture and hold their shape well. Quartered yukon gold or red potatoes work too. Do not use russet potatoes since they don’t help up their shape as well.
- Olive oil, salt and pepper to roast the potatoes.
- Fresh Italian parsley to give the salad aromatic flavors and freshness. Do not use dry parsley, it won’t be the same.
- Plain Greek yogurt: When combined with the pesto and the rest of the ingredients, it adds the perfect amount of creaminess to the pesto potato salad.
- For the homemade pesto, you’ll need: fresh basil, almonds, parmesan cheese, olive oil, red wine vinegar.
How to Make Pesto Potato Salad
You’re only a few steps away from making the best pesto potato salad! It’s very easy and you can even make it ahead.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425F. In a sheet pan, toss the halved baby potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in one single layer, flat side down. Roast for about 30 minutes, flipping at the 20-minute mark.
Step 2: In a food processor, combine the pesto ingredients. Process for a few seconds until a pesto forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl and process a few more times until evenly combined.
Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the roasted potatoes, the prepared pesto, yogurt, and Italian parsley.
Step 4: Toss until evenly combined and garnish. I like to serve it slightly warm.
Tips for Success
- Roasting the potatoes is the key to a super delicious salad! It adds depth of flavor. Simply boiling to steaming the potatoes won’t get you the same results.
- The key to making golden brown roasted potatoes is to let the flat side down roast undisturbed for about 20 minutes before flipping, rather than halfway through. Total roasting time should be 30 minutes.
- This pesto potato salad can be served warm or cold. If serving warm, wait for the potatoes to cool a little bit, about 15 minutes before adding the dressing.
Make Ahead Tips
You can make the entire potato salad up to 1 day in advance. You can also prep the pesto 1 day ahead and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add all the ingredients into a bowl, toss and combine.
Shortcut: If you have a favorite store-bought pesto, feel free to use that instead.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
This pesto potato salad is great for summer cookouts! My favorite way to serve it is with my homemade burger recipe. I also love how well it goes with Marinated Beef Kabobs, Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers, or these easy Greek Chicken Skewers!
Need more summer side dishes?
Recipe FAQs
I use baby potatoes because I love their smooth texture. They also hold their shape really well. Other options: quartered yukon gold or red potatoes.
Do not use russet potatoes, as these tend to get too soft and starchy when cooked. They will fall apart easily.
I’d highly recommend roasting the potatoes rather than just boiling. Roasted potatoes have a lot more flavor and texture that complements really well with pesto. Trust me, it will take your pesto potato salad to another level!
You can, but the dressing could turn out very dense and heavy. I’d highly recommend using plain Greek yogurt.
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Creamy Pesto Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 to 3 pounds baby potatoes, halved
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
Basil pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil - or to taste
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar - or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large sheet pan, toss the halved potatoes with olive oil (about 3-4 tablespoons), and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange in a single layer, flat side down. Tip: Divide into 2 sheet pans if the potatoes are too crowded in one sheet pan.
- Roast potatoes for about 30 minutes, flipping after about 20 minutes into the roasting time. When ready, temove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the basil pesto. Into the bowl of a food processor, add the fresh basil, almonds, parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Process for a few seconds until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and process a few more times until evenly combined. Adjust to taste as needed.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, toss the roasted potatoes with the prepared pesto, yogurt, and chopped Italian parsley until combined. If needed, season with more salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
Notes
- Roasting the potatoes is a key step to making a delicious potato. The deep flavors of roasted potatoes pair really well with that flavorful basil pesto. Boiled or steamed potatoes would make this salad quite bland.
- Serve warm or cold. If serving warm, let the potatoes cool down somewhat, about 15 minutes after it’s out of the oven.
- Make ahead: Make 1-2 days in advance and keep refrigerated until ready to serve
- Add-ons: asparagus, green beans, peas, radishes, bell peppers, pine nuts.
- Protein add-ons: hard-boiled eggs, grilled shrimp, bacon.
- Need to use store-bought pesto? I think homemade pesto is best, but if you have a favorite pre-made pesto, feel free to use that.
Lee says
If I wanted to use prepared pesto instead of making it myself, how much pesto does your recipe yield?
Tania says
Hi Lee! About 0.75 to 1 cup.