Roasted Garlic Cream Pasta (Print page)

Al dente pasta tossed in silky roasted garlic cream sauce with fresh Parmesan. Comforting Italian comfort food ready in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Roasted Garlic

01 - 2 whole garlic bulbs
02 - 2 teaspoons olive oil

→ Pasta

03 - 12 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
04 - Salt for pasta water

→ Cream Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 1/4 cup milk
09 - 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

→ Garnish

13 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
14 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off garlic bulbs to expose cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 35-40 minutes until soft and golden. Cool slightly, then squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
03 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped shallot and sauté until softened, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Mash the roasted garlic into a paste and add to the skillet, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour cream and milk into the skillet, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer gently until cheese melts and sauce becomes velvety.
07 - Add drained pasta to the sauce, tossing gently to coat. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency.
08 - Serve immediately while hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic is sweet and mellow, nothing like the sharp bite of raw cloves, and it melts into the cream like it was always meant to be there.
  • It looks and tastes fancy enough for guests, but the actual work is so minimal you could make it on a weeknight without breaking a sweat.
  • Every bite is velvety and comforting, the kind of dish that makes you slow down and actually enjoy your dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, that starchy liquid is the secret to a sauce that clings instead of separates.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan from a block, the pre-shredded kind has cellulose in it that keeps the sauce from getting smooth and creamy.
  • Let the roasted garlic cool before you try to squeeze it out, or you'll burn your fingers and lose half the cloves to impatience.
03 -
  • Roast extra garlic bulbs and keep the cloves in olive oil in the fridge, they'll last a week and you can add them to everything from toast to soups.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy, pull it off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter, it usually brings it back together like magic.
  • Taste before you add all the salt, Parmesan is already salty and it's easy to overdo it if you're not careful.
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