Equipment
Ingredients
Potatoes and Cooking Liquid
- 800 g baby gold potatoes, whole, scrubbed clean
- 2000 ml water, cold
- 5 g fine sea salt
Pesto Sauce and Garnish
- 50 g fresh basil leaves, washed and patted thoroughly dry
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 120 g whole-milk ricotta cheese, chilled
- 80 g plain whole-milk greek yogurt, chilled
- 70 g gorgonzola dolce cheese, crumbled
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 g freshly cracked black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 384 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 510 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Potassium
- 1006 mg
- Calcium
- 226 mg
- Iron
- 2.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 247 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 131 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 44 mg
- Water
- 210 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place 800g of scrubbed baby gold potatoes into a large saucepan and cover them with 2000ml of cold water and 3g of fine sea salt.
Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the liquid to a rolling boil at 100°C (212°F).
Lower the heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer at 95°C (203°F) for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Pour the cooked potatoes into a colander to drain away the water completely, then allow them to steam-dry for 5 minutes.
Place 2 peeled garlic cloves on a cutting board and finely mince them using a chef knife.
Add the minced garlic, 50g fresh basil leaves, 120g whole-milk ricotta cheese, 80g plain whole-milk greek yogurt, 50g of the gorgonzola dolce cheese, 45ml extra virgin olive oil, 15ml fresh lemon juice, 2g fine sea salt, and 1g freshly cracked black pepper into a food processor, then process for 45 seconds until smooth and creamy.
Transfer the warm, drained potatoes into a large mixing bowl, pour the freshly blended pesto over them, and use a silicone spatula to gently fold until each potato is thoroughly coated.
Spoon the warm, dressed potatoes out onto a wide serving platter in a single layered mound.
Scatter the reserved 20g of crumbled gorgonzola dolce cheese evenly over the top of the plated potatoes.
Chef's Notes
- Retaining the potato skins adds earthy depth, helps the baby tubers hold their shape during boiling, and preserves substantial dietary fiber.
- Gorgonzola dolce features a softer paste and milder, sweet acidity than gorgonzola piccante, allowing it to emulsify smoothly into yogurt and ricotta without creating an overly pungent dressing.
- Warm potatoes absorb the aromatics of garlic and basil far better than chilled ones, but they must be warm rather than piping hot to prevent the dairy fats from breaking.
- For extra textural contrast, you can lightly crush each warm potato with the heel of your hand before spooning the pesto over top.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container at or below 4°C (40°F) within 2 hours of cooking.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered dish in the microwave at 50% power in 45-second intervals until reaching an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), or serve cold straight from the refrigerator.
Troubleshooting
Pesto separates or pools liquid in the bottom of the bowl
Cause: Potatoes were tossed while wet with cooking water or while boiling hot, breaking the dairy proteins
Fix: Fold in an additional 30g of cold ricotta cheese to absorb free moisture and reconstitute the emulsion
Prevention: Allow potatoes to rest in the colander for 5 minutes so exterior water fully evaporates and excess surface heat abates
Basil pesto turns dull olive drab instead of vivid green
Cause: Over-processing created motor heat that bruised the basil cell walls and accelerated enzymatic browning
Fix: Cannot be fixed once oxidized, but flavor remains intact
Prevention: Use chilled dairy ingredients and pulse in brief bursts until just blended
Pungency of the blue cheese overpowers the fresh basil
Cause: A sharp, dry aged blue cheese was used instead of a sweeter, creamy Gorgonzola dolce
Fix: Blend 25g extra Greek yogurt and 5ml fresh lemon juice into the sauce before tossing
Prevention: Taste the cheese beforehand and reduce the quantity by half if substituting a sharp Roquefort or Stilton
Cultural Context
While classical Genoese pesto relies exclusively on basil, pine nuts, garlic, and aged hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Italian home cooking regularly incorporates fresh dairy into regional pestos, such as Sicilian pesto alla trapanese with ricotta. In Northern Italian farmhouse cooking, earthy boiled root vegetables and rich Lombardian cheeses like Gorgonzola frequently appear together as hearty autumn sustenance. This preparation synthesizes Ligurian herb freshness with Lombard dairy traditions for a vibrant, weeknight-friendly side dish.
