Roasted Garlic Cream Pasta (Printable)

Al dente pasta tossed in velvety roasted garlic cream sauce, finished with Parmesan. Simple, elegant comfort food.

# What You Need:

→ Roasted Garlic

01 - 2 whole garlic bulbs
02 - 2 teaspoons olive oil

→ Pasta

03 - 12 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
04 - Salt for pasta water

→ Cream Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 1/4 cup whole milk
09 - 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - Pinch of nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

13 - Extra Parmesan for serving
14 - Chopped fresh parsley, optional

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice tops off garlic bulbs to expose cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes until soft and golden. Allow to cool, then squeeze out roasted garlic cloves.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.
03 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until softened, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Mash roasted garlic into a paste and add to the skillet, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in cream and milk, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Stir in Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer gently until cheese melts and sauce becomes velvety.
07 - Add drained pasta to sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until sauce reaches desired consistency.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic becomes so sweet and mellow it practically melts into the cream without any sharpness.
  • It feels fancy but uses pantry staples you probably already have sitting around.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta like it was meant to be there.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully with just a splash of milk to bring the sauce back to life.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it's the secret to a sauce that actually sticks instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Roasted garlic can burn if the oven runs hot, so check it at 35 minutes and wrap it well so it steams inside the foil.
  • Add the Parmesan off the heat or on very low heat, high heat can make it grainy and separated.
03 -
  • Roast extra garlic bulbs and keep them in the fridge, they'll last a week and you can smash them into anything that needs flavor.
  • Use a pasta shape with ridges or curves if you swap out the fettuccine, smooth noodles don't hold the sauce as well.
  • Warm your serving bowls in the oven for a minute before plating, it keeps the pasta from cooling too fast at the table.
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