Arugula Pesto Potato Salad
A warm, peppery potato salad dressed in bright green arugula pesto, balancing roastiness, peppery greens, and crunchy radishes for a perfect spring dish.
Ingredients
Potatoes and Roasting
- 2 lbs pee wee potatoes, halved Small new potatoes roast quickly and evenly.
- to taste Olive oil For roasting.
- to taste Kosher salt
- to taste Freshly cracked black pepper
Salad Components
- 3 red spring onions, thinly sliced Use the red/white bulb section and reserve green stems.
- 2 cups packed arugula For tossing.
- 6 radishes, thinly shaved on a mandolin
Pesto Ingredients
- 2 cups packed arugula For pesto.
- 1 cup packed basil leaves Choose fragrant, deep-green basil leaves.
- 1 small handful chives
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
- ⅓ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil Use a vibrant, fruity olive oil for best flavor.
Instructions
Roasting the Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the halved pee wee potatoes with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper on a half sheet pan. Spread them cut-side down in one even layer and roast for 15 minutes.
- Look for the cut sides to turn deeply golden after the first 15 minutes.
Add Spring Onions
- After 15 minutes, add the red/white bulb sections of the thinly sliced spring onions over the potatoes. Roast for an additional 25 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and a knife slides through easily.
Prepare Salad Base
- Let the potatoes and onions cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes. Combine the arugula, shaved radishes, and remaining green spring onion stems in a large salad bowl.
Make the Pesto
- In a food processor, combine the arugula for pesto, basil leaves, chives, garlic, toasted pine nuts, grated pecorino, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Stir in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Toss and Serve
- Add the warm potatoes and roasted onions to the salad bowl. Toss gently with the pesto to coat each potato.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with more cracked black pepper on top.
Notes
This salad is versatile for serving warm or at room temperature. You can make the pesto 24 hours ahead and store in an airtight container with a thin film of olive oil.