Baked potatoes with pistachio pesto

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg potatoes, waxy, unpeeled but cleaned
• 2 bell peppers, red or yellow
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 handful of basil leaves
• 4 tbsp, heaped pistachios, roasted and salted
• 5 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar or other vinegar, e.g. apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp sea salt, coarse
• ½ tsp pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

vegetarian

Cut the potatoes into eighths and cover well with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the potatoes for 5-10 minutes until almost tender. Preheat the oven to maximum grill function. If this is not possible, 250°C top/bottom heat or 200°C fan-assisted oven will also do, but the time will need to be adjusted accordingly. Meanwhile, cut the peppers into roughly 3 cm wide pieces. Drain the potatoes. Return them to the pot with the pepper pieces, oil, and salt, and mix everything well. Spread this mixture evenly on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and grill on the second rack from the top for about 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are nicely browned and crispy on the outside, but still soft on the inside. Turn occasionally. For the pesto, finely chop the garlic, pistachios, and basil. You can also mince the garlic with a garlic press. Transfer the mixture to a large salad bowl and toss with mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the grilled vegetables to the pesto bowl. Gently toss everything until the peppers and potatoes are coated with pesto on all sides. Let the salad cool for at least 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with basil, if desired. The salad is delicious warm or lukewarm as a side dish. Approx. 420 calories per serving.