Whole Roasted Garlic

4.1

(27)

Roasting mellows the flavor of garlic—and it's so easy, all you need are heads of garlic, olive oil, and an oven.

How to Make Whole Roasted Garlic

3:46

Servings:

8

Yield:

2 bulbs

Roasting garlic transforms its flavor and texture, making it more rich, nutty, and mellow as well as soft and spreadable. Our roasted garlic recipe calls for two ingredients: heads of garlic and olive oil. Prep the heads by cutting off a slice across the top of each garlic head, then drizzle them with oil and wrap in parchment-lined foil. Pop them in the oven to cook, then use it as an appetizer spread on toast, added to sour cream for a dip, mixed into butter, in a pasta dish, or folded into mashed potatoes.

Scatter some fresh thyme leaves across the cut surface of the garlic before roasting if you like.

Directions

Preheat oven and prep garlic:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut a thin (1/4-inch) slice from the top of each head of garlic; discard. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Drizzle with oil.
Roast:

Cover with parchment paper-lined foil; roast garlic until soft and golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Storing Roasted Garlic

Leftover roasted garlic can be stored (peeled or unpeeled) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, place the peeled, roasted cloves in a jar and top with olive oil. The garlic will keep this way in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use the mildly flavored olive oil for cooking.

Freezing Roasted Garlic

You can freeze whole heads of roasted garlic or individual cloves. Add whole heads to a zip-top freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and freeze. For individual cloves, arrange the peeled, separated cloves on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then transfer to an airtight container or bag and freeze. The roasted garlic will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.