Patate Al Forne ( Italian Roasted Potatoes!)

The Perfect Recipe For Patate Al Forno 

(Italian Roasted Potatoes)

Making roasted potatoes crispy on the outside and soft inside is a piece of cake – if you follow the simple suggestions.

First of all, start with the selection of potatoes: the best potatoes for roasting are the yellow variety, since they’re less starchy and feature a firmer, denser consistency. Don’t use older, starchier varieties. (These are better for making gnocchi or mashed potatoes, since they function as a kind of “glue” with other ingredients.)

Another basic rule: Peel the potatoes just before dicing them (into equal size!) and baking. This allows for a uniform cooking of all the ingredients on the baking sheet.

Once diced into cubes, it’s time to blanch the potatoes. (This is the secret to making crispy patate al forno.) This step eliminates the excess starch from the potatoes, making them even crunchier. Blanch the diced potatoes for 5 minutes. If you prefer blanching them whole before peeling and dicing, then you’ll need to cook them for about 10 minutes. (This makes it easier to remove the peel.) To avoid boiling the potatoes, first wash them very well and let them soak for 30 minutes in cold water.

Now it’s time to bake! Add the blanched potatoes to a large baking sheet with almonds (without overlapping). Season with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. While seasoning the potatoes, it’s important to massage the spices into the potatoes (kind of like a meat rub) for full flavor. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes at 390°F (200°C) in a static oven. Then turn them over, removing the garlic clove. Bake for another 20 minutes. If necessary, you can brown them further in grill mode for the last few minutes of baking.

Fast roasted potatoes

If you need to make roasted potatoes quickly, there is only one way to get the best results. Slice them thin and soak them in water for 5 minutes before baking on grill mode in a ventilated oven for about 20 minutes. Be careful, though! Remember to turn them often to keep them from burning.

So – now that you know the secrets to making the perfect roasted potatoes, you’re ready to have fun with spices, fresh herbs and all the tasty combinations you can think of!