Name: Italian Roast Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1.9 lbs (870g) potatoes; 5-6 garlic cloves (whole and skins still on and crush with the back of a knife); 4-5 sprigs on rosemary ((removed from the sprig)); 5-6 tbsp olive oil; salt and pepper

Recipe Print

Crispy on the outside with a soft and fluffy centre these Italian roast potatoes are the ultimate side to any roast dinner or main course. Made with garlic cloves and fresh rosemary they're packed with flavour and pretty hard to resist.

Who doesn't love perfectly roasted potatoes? Not many I tell you and these ones are by far my favourite way to make them. I love to serve them with a stuffed roast pork loin that's been rubbed in fresh herbs, fennel seeds and wrapped in prosciutto...SO delicious. Roast lamb, chicken or beef always works well too.

I mean you can't go wrong with these crispy Italian potatoes as a side dish. Even..dare I say it serve them as they are with a dip for a snack (not very Italian I know but still addictive and delicious).**See my personal update at the bottom of the post!

Seasonings

I season these Italian roast potatoes well with salt and pepper. These have an extra delicious flavour kick from a generous helping of fresh rosemary and garlic.

I use 5-6 garlic cloves, skins still on and lightly crushed with the back of a knife. Squeeze them out of their skins when the potatoes are done, they're sweet, sticky, garlicky and utterly delicious!

I use around 4 large sprigs of fresh rosemary and remove the needles from the stalks and sprinkle them over the potatoes. Tip: get the rosemary and garlic ready in advance because you have to work quickly when the roasting tray is nice and hot.

Do I Need To Boil Potatoes Before Roasting?

To make these Italian roast potatoes I never boil them first. I've never felt they've needed to be boiled because they come out so crispy and delicious plus it's an extra step that isn't necessary.

If you're making traditional British roast potatoes then I do boil them first because they are cut much larger and boiling them gives them a fluffy outside that goes extra crispy when roasting. Perfect for pouring gravy over!

How To Make Italian Roast Potatoes - Step By Step

First, preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F). Once the oven is at temperature pour the oil into the baking tray and place in the oven to get nice and hot (photo 1).

Peel the potatoes and cut them into rough medium sized chunks (photos 1 & 2). When you've finished chopping the peeled potatoes the tray and oil should be nice and hot.

Do the next step quickly but carefully *hot oil warning*. Bring the tray out of the oven and add the potatoes to the tray followed by the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and using a spatula or fish slice toss the potatoes to coat everything in oil and place back in the oven (photos 4 & 5).

Let them roast in the oven for around 25 minutes then toss so the majority of the crispy brown and golden sides are facing up. Roast again for another 20 minutes or until all the potatoes are crispy, golden brown and cooked through.

Tips For Making The Perfect Italian Roast Potatoes;

Make sure your oven as pre-heated fully before tossing the potatoes in roasting tray
Don't overcrowd the potatoes, choose a tray big enough to spread them out in an even layer
Always remember to add the olive oil to the baking tray and heat it in the oven so the oil is extra hot before add your potatoes. This helps create crisp potatoes straight away.
Don't use expensive extra virgin olive oil for roasting, a lesser expensive olive oil will do
Add as much garlic as you want...the more the better I say
If you're not serving the potatoes straight away then transfer them to a plate lined with baking parchment to drain slightly and keep warm in a low oven. Don't cover the potatoes or they'll lose their crispiness

Personal

We just moved house for the 7th time in 5 years....what the?! Yeah, not even kidding but to be fair that includes moving from Scotland to Italy, just over four years in Italy and a rather stressful move back to Scotland (read about why we left Italy here).

Anyway, after moving back almost 3 months ago we have finally settled in our new apartment and currently trying to find a new place for all our stuff. Isn't unpacking the most stressful part of moving or is it just me?

We've moved to my hometown just outside of Edinburgh and I've finally said my goodbyes to the little Italian car that served me well over the last 4 years and got us back to Scotland in only 3 days. Funny fact...the car actually died a week after we arrived, how lucky (or weird) was that? Ha!

Now that we're car-less and currently searching for a new one there have been times that we can't be bothered to get on two buses for a trip to the supermarket and these Italian roast potatoes have saved us.

It sounds like a total studenty thing to do and maybe it is but I'm just letting you know that if you have nothing much in the house apart from a sack of tatties (Scottish word for potatoes) they'll fill you're hungry belly with happiness after following this recipe, just whip up a dip or two and there ya go.

Please note: Ignore all advice if you have a family of 3 kids to feed....yeah they probably wouldn't be happy.

If you’ve tried these Italian Roast Potatoes or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!

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5 from 5 votes