Italian Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

This Italian Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes recipe is made with only 5 ingredients and no milk or butter! The result is a creamy healthy mashed potato recipe that is full of flavor and super simple to make.

Course Sides, Holiday

Cuisine Italian

Keyword olive oil mashed potatoes, Italian mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes no milk, mashed potatoes no butter

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 227kcal

Author Jamie

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or similar gold potato variety
6 cloves garlic
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
1 tablespoon salt for boiling the potatoes plus more to taste

Instructions

Boil the potatoes and garlic: Peel the potatoes and halve lengthwise. Place them and the peeled garlic cloves in a large pot and fill with water until the potatoes are nearly covered. Cover snugly with a lid and bring the pot to a boil on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon of salt once the water boils (just like you would with pasta water). Reduce heat and adjust lid to maintain a low boil for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender but not too soft.
Allow to cook evenly: Turn off the heat and drain the water, saving 1 cup of potato water to use later. Cover the pot and allow the potatoes and garlic to sit for 10 minutes. This allows the potatoes to finish cooking and maintains an even cooking temperature and texture throughout.
Mash it all together: Begin mashing the potatoes and garlic with a potato masher or forks. Then add olive oil, black pepper, and the reserved potato water in increments until you reach your desired texture (I usually use nearly all of it). Add additional salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

Notes

Potatoes: Because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, the quality of those ingredients matters. Yukon Gold potatoes are most similar to those used for mashed potatoes in Italy and have excellent flavor and texture. If you can't find Yukon Gold, other gold fleshed potato varieties will do. While still delicious, you will not get the same results with russet potatoes.

Salt: Most of the salt needed for flavor will be added back into the recipe through the reserved potato water. You can add any extra to taste at the end, and I really enjoy a sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt at the end to make it feel extra special.

Storage: Store leftover olive oil mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or by placing a heat-safe bowl over simmering water. Mix thoroughly for even heating.

Nutrition