Mashed potatoes without butter: yummy and healthy

Preparation tips for mashed potatoes without butter 

Here are some little tricks for making butterless mashed potatoes that are no match for traditional mashed potatoes:

• Choose the right variety of potatoes: Prefer floury potatoes, which are ideal for mashing because of their high starch content, which ensures a fluffy, creamy texture.
• Cut potatoes into uniform pieces: This will ensure even cooking. Pieces that are too large will cook unevenly, and will tend to form lumps in the mashed potato.
• Start with cold water: Put the cut potatoes in a pot with cold water so that they cook evenly from the inside out.
• Salt the cooking water: Add salt immediately to the water in which you will cook the potatoes. This way they will season to perfection.
• Do not overcook the potatoes: Cook potatoes until tender but not undone. Overcooked potatoes absorb too much water, ruining the texture of the mashed potato.
• Use a potato masher: Prefer a classic potato masher to mixers and blenders. The latter in fact exert too aggressive an action, breaking down the starch molecules inside the potatoes and resulting in a sticky, not at all fluffy texture.

Mashed potatoes without butter: why choose olive oil? 

Using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter in mashed potatoes can transform a classic comfort food into a dish that is just as delicious but with additional health and flavor benefits. Extra virgin olive oil in fact:

• It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, known for their cardiovascular benefits, unlike the saturated fats found in butter.
• It contains antioxidants and polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory and anti aging properties.
• It is extremely digestible and does not burden the liver like butter.
• It adds a touch of flavor to mashed potatoes that butter cannot offer, with notes that can range from fresh herbs to fruity, depending on the oil chosen.
• It has a higher smoke point, making it suitable for cooking and heating without losing its beneficial properties.

For our recipe, we chose to use Fruttato Farchioni Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is characterized by a fresh, intense aroma and a delicate taste that goes perfectly with the other ingredients of the butter-free puree.