Patate al Forno con Rosmarino
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Origin
Region: All regions (Ubiquitous across Italy)
Historical Context: The undeniable king of Sunday family lunch side dishes. It is traditionally roasted in the same oven alongside a large pork roast, veal loin, or whole chicken, absorbing the roasting pan drippings.
Description
The ultimate Italian roasted potatoes—perfectly crispy, rough-edged, and golden-brown on the outside, while remaining incredibly fluffy and tender inside, seasoned with crushed garlic, sea salt, and fresh rosemary leaves.
Presentation
Served piping hot on a shared platter directly alongside any roasted or grilled meats.
Ingredients
1kg starchy potatoes (like Russets or Yukon Golds), peeled and cut into 1.5-inch chunks
60ml high-quality extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (leaves stripped and coarsely chopped)
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and smashed with the flat of a knife
Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Step-by-Step Directions
Parboil: Place the potato chunks into a large pot of cold, heavily salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for exactly 5 minutes. Parboiling gelatinizes the starch on the exterior of the potato.
Rough Up: Drain the potatoes completely in a colander. Give the colander a vigorous shake to rough up the edges of the potato chunks—this creates a starchy paste on the surfaces that crisps up beautifully in the oven.
Season: Preheat your oven to 210°C (425°F). Transfer the potatoes to a large roasting pan. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and toss thoroughly to ensure every potato is well-coated. Scatter the chopped rosemary, smashed unpeeled garlic cloves, salt, and pepper over them.
Arrange: Spread the potatoes out into a single layer. Make sure they have plenty of space; if they are crowded together, they will steam instead of roasting.
First Roast: Roast in the hot oven for 25 minutes without touching them, allowing the bottoms to form a deep crust.
Flip and Finish: Turn the potatoes over using a spatula. Roast for another 15–20 minutes until they are uniform golden-brown and intensely crispy all over.
Optional Variations
Patate alla Salentina: Toss the potatoes with thinly sliced onions and a pinch of dried wild oregano before roasting for a typical Apulian variation.
Cooking Tips
Leaving the garlic cloves in their skins protects them from burning during the long, high-heat roast, allowing them to sweeten and infuse the oil safely.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 240 kcal
Carbohydrates: 32g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 11g
Sodium: 340mg
Comments