How to Roast Garlic

Take a large head of garlic and peel the outer layers to remove the head’s skin. You are not removing the individual skins of each clove, just the papery skin on the outside of the head of garlic. Cut the top 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the bunch of cloves off. This will reveal the insides of the individual cloves. Rub the head of garlic with some extra virgin olive oil, coating it well. Place the oiled head of garlic on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. If you are making several roasted heads of garlic, using a muffin tin, with each head in a cup, makes this even easier. Cover each head with some foil. You can also wrap the entire head in foil and place on a baking sheet. All of these methods will work fine. The heads of garlic should be baked for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You will know if the garlic is done when the cloves are soft and slightly squishy when squeezed. Allow the garlic to cool for a few minutes. The roasted cloves can be removed using a small fork or simply squeezed out of their skins.

This roasted garlic is delicious served on bread or mashed with a bit of olive oil to use as a spread. It is lovely as a topping for your pizza, tastes great on pasta, and can be used in mashed potatoes and other recipes.