How to Roast Garlic

By lorik

Garlic, slowly roasted in the oven, loses its sharp bite and turns remarkably soft and mellow. Roasted cloves are nutty, rich, slightly sweet and oh-so versatile.

Ingredients

• 1 whole head of garlic
• Olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cut about ½ inch off the top of the head of garlic. Peel off any loose, papery skin.

2. Place garlic in a small ovenproof baking dish, cut side up.

3. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

4. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven until cut side is lightly browned and cloves are very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Remove, and allow garlic to cool slightly before squeezing the garlic paste from the cloves.

Try roasted garlic mashed into potatoes or blended into store-bought hummus. Roasted garlic is at its best, however, when treated simply--spread on crusty bread and drizzled with olive oil.