Roasted Garlic Cream Pasta (Printable Version)

Al dente pasta tossed in silky roasted garlic cream sauce with fresh Parmesan. A luscious, comforting Italian classic.

# What You'll 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

# How To Make It:

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 to 40 minutes until soft and golden. Allow to cool, 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 roasted garlic into a paste and add to the skillet, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and milk, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer gently until cheese melts and sauce reaches a velvety consistency.
07 - Add drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency.
08 - Plate immediately and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic becomes impossibly sweet and creamy, transforming into a sauce base that tastes like youve been cooking all day.
  • Its rich enough to feel indulgent but simple enough to pull off on a weeknight without any fancy techniques.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta in that perfect way that makes you want to lick the bowl.
02 -
  • Dont skip reserving the pasta water, its starchy magic helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Let the roasted garlic cool before squeezing it out or youll burn your fingers, I learned this the painful way the first time.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, the pre-grated stuff has anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy instead of smooth.
03 -
  • Roast extra garlic bulbs and keep the cloves in olive oil in the fridge, theyre incredible on toast or stirred into soups.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time instead of dumping it in, you can always add more but you cant take it back.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat for the last minute so the sauce absorbs instead of sliding off.
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