You can’t go wrong with a good potato recipe, and if you add Parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, and olive oil….well, then, you just have bliss, don’t you? Seriously, the combo of all these ingredients just makes your kitchen smell heavenly while it’s roasting. No wonder so many comfort foods contain potatoes! National Potato Day is coming up on October 27th, so why not celebrate with Italian Roasted Potatoes?!
You could use dried parsley for this, but the fresh cut parsley looks so great and is just so appetizing. I used powdered Parmesan cheese, but you could opt for freshly grated Parmesan if you prefer. When you measure out the Italian seasoning, pour it into the palm of your hand and then use the pads of your other hand to crush and rub the seasoning before adding it. In this way, you’re essentially making a kind of a mortar and pestle with your hands. Crushing the seasoning in this way will allow more flavor to be released.
If you can swing it, use a good, high-quality olive oil as it will make a big flavor difference. For example, my favorite olive oils come from Beaufort Olive Oil Company. (And by the way, that’s pronounced “BOW-fert” in North Carolina, as opposed to the South Carolina “BYUU-fert.”) Using a flavored olive oil might also be a fun thing to experiment with, but I prefer using a medium intensity, all-purpose olive oil such as a Picual or a Frantoio.
Great as a side to your dinner’s main dish, Italian Roasted Potatoes would also make a great addition to a brunch where you could serve it alongside egg dishes or Anna’s Fresh Tomato and Basil Pie. Whatever food companion you decide to serve this alongside, I’m sure you’ll be happy with result. I mean, who doesn’t love potatoes?
- 4 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- fresh chopped parsley
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish by generously greasing with shortening or cooking spray.
- Cut the potatoes in half length-wise. Then lay each half on its cut side and cut in half length-wise again. Cut each of these width-wise into 1/2" chunks. Place the cut potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Add 4 Tbsp of the olive oil to the potatoes and toss to coat. Then add the Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and half the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.
- Pour this mixture into your prepared pan and sprinkle with half of the remaining Parmesan cheese. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. of olive oil evenly over the top of the potatoes.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven, and carefully toss. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and olive oil and return to the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven, and toss. Take a taste and make sure it's seasoned with enough salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.