How to Roast Garlic

Yvonne Maffei August 26, 2010

12 Comments

Raw garlic is a bit…raw. And Strong.

Don’t get me wrong, I love garlic. Maybe too much.

There is a way, however, to soften the taste of garlic and pack a punch of flavor to certain recipes by using oven-roasted garlic.

From here on out, I’ll often refer to roasted garlic in many recipes, linking back to this page for you to see how to use it what your dishes. I’ve used it in hummus, tomato sauce, soups, stews & more.

Go ahead- buy that six-pack of garlic at the grocery store and experiment. Unless you burn it, you really can’t ruin this. Just keep an eye on the stove or set your timer. You won’t want to miss all the goodness a bit of roasted garlic can add from here on out.

How to Roast Garlic

Ingredients

Several heads of garlic, skins on and bulbs intact

olive oil

dried herbs (optional)

Directions

Cut about 1/2 inch off the top of each garlic bulb (refer to the pictures to see what it should look like).
In an oven-proof baking dish, place the garlic heads, cut side facing upwards.
Generously drizzle olive oil over the top of the garlic heads. If using dried herbs, sprinkle on top.
Heat in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes, or until you see a few of the cloves begin to brown slightly.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Store in an airtight container (glass is best) and keep in the refrigerator. (This cannot be left out on the counter because bacteria can accumulate quickly on the surface of the garlic).
When ready to use one or more cloves, simply squeeze it out of the skin of the clove and add to your dish. Each clove can be added to raw or cooked foods, as the clove is itself already cooked.
Roasted garlic heads should keep fresh in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.