Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce (Print View)

Creamy sauce featuring roasted garlic, tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan for a comforting pasta meal.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 large whole garlic bulbs
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
04 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (plus extra for garnish)

→ Dairy

05 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)

→ Pantry

08 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves, place each bulb on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly.
03 - Roast the garlic bulbs in the oven for 35–40 minutes until golden and soft, then allow to cool slightly.
04 - Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a bowl and mash to a paste.
05 - Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup (120 ml) of pasta water before draining.
06 - Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chopped onion, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
07 - Stir in the mashed roasted garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
08 - Add the diced tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer for 8–10 minutes to blend flavors.
09 - Stir in the butter and heavy cream, simmer for 2 minutes, then add the Parmesan cheese and stir until combined.
10 - Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired creaminess.
11 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil and Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Roasted garlic transforms into something naturally sweet and mellow, so creamy it coats the pasta like silk without tasting heavy.
  • The whole thing comes together in just over an hour, including the roasting time, making it easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for guests.
  • It's the kind of sauce that tastes like you've been cooking for hours when really you've been mostly just waiting for the oven to work.
02 -
  • Roasting garlic is unforgiving about temperature—too hot and it burns, too cool and it stays sharp and won't soften properly, so read your oven's actual behavior once before committing to 40 minutes.
  • That pasta water you reserved isn't optional; it's the difference between sauce and glue, and its starch is what makes everything silky without needing more cream.
  • Don't skip the mashing step with roasted garlic—even soft cloves benefit from being broken down, which releases their sweetness more completely into the sauce.
03 -
  • If your cream looks like it's starting to split while heating, lower your temperature immediately and stir constantly—cream can be temperamental, especially near boiling.
  • Reserve even more pasta water than you think you'll need; the sauce will thicken between the skillet and the serving bowl, and you want enough liquid to adjust it at the table if needed.
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