How to Roast Garlic

Roasted Garlic is something I used to see often in restaurants on menus and think was "unattainable" for the home cook. It was a classic ingredient in my favorite shrimp and pasta dish at restaurant in Pensacola we loved. I never thought about making at home. Then I started seeing chefs on the Food Network making roasted garlic and it was showing up in food magazines and all over food blogs. So I did a little research and made it at home. It was. so. easy. So. Easy. Did you get that? So. Easy.
If you are not a garlic lover, no worries, it isn't "garlicky." Roasted garlic is sweet and savory, and not bitter or strong at all like raw or sauteed garlic. As it roasts in the oven, it becomes soft, mild and a bit caramelized. You can add it to pasta dishes. I used it to make Roasted Garlic, Pesto & Chicken Pizza.

You will need:
one head of garlic
olive oil (about a tablespoon)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel away the outer papery leaves from your head of garlic, but leave the head intact. Don't worry about getting every little bit of the leaves, just the most outer ones.
Cut off the top of the head, so it is flat and the bulbs are exposed. I cut about 1/2 inch off the top of mine.
Place on a large square of aluminium foil, and drizzle the olive oil over the top.
Bring up the sides of the foil to make a little packet with your head of garlic inside.
Place on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
Let it cool slightly and then open your packet. See the caramelized yumminess in there?
The garlic should be soft and the bulbs should just pop right out of the shell with a little help.
I mashed up the roasted garlic bulbs to make a delicious paste for our pizza. This stuff is amazing. And So. Easy.
And now you can make it at home too!

Check out the Roasted Garlic, Pesto and Chicken Pizza here.