- 3 pounds white peeled potatoes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
Rosemary roasted potatoes are a staple in the tattorias (small neighborhood eateries) that dot the neighborhoods of Rome and all Italian cities. Rome’s trattorias offer a more rustic, casual and economical alternative to the classic restaurant. These eateries are known for modest but plentiful food and prosper from a steady clientele that as often as not, order food in boxes for taking home.
Something miraculous happens to rosemary when roasted with the potatoes at a high temperature. It ceases to have a woodsy, stuck-in-your-teeth texture and become a crispy delight that complements the crunch of the roasted potatoes. While you can add garlic, different herbs and any number of different ingredients to give this dish a twist, I encourage you to keep to its rustic simplicity. You just can’t get a much better flavor pairing than rosemary and potatoes. The piney rosemary perfumes the earthy potatoes just so. It’s a classic combination that you will never get tired of tasting and has graced Roman tables for centuries.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Strip the rosemary leaves from their stems. (Note: The rosemary stems make amazing kabob skewers.)
- Cut the potatoes in half and then into pieces about the size of the base of your thumb and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Toss until the potatoes are well coated.
- Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into a single layer making sure any extra olive oil is drizzled out onto the potatoes.
- Roast in the oven for at 50 minutes or until browned and crisp.
- Allow the potatoes to sit for about 5 to 7 minutes before serving. As they cool, they will absorb any extra olive oil in the pan.
