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Creamy Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

a lightened up version of a cream sauce that is flecked with pieces of roasted garlic

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword garlic pasta
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound (8 oz) penne or fusilli* (or gluten free pasta)
  • 1 Tbs Kosher salt (to add to pasta water)
  • 1 cup pasta water (from cooking the pasta above)
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed roasted garlic cloves (about 3 entire heads) Mashed the roasted garlic with a fork OR for a smoother texture use a small Cuisinart to blend the garlic - add a little pasta cooking water to your blender if you opt for this method.
  • see garlic roasting recipe here or quick roasting instructions above in the blog post
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to top
  • 2 Tbs heavy cream (oat milk can be substituted)
  • 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • a few dashes red pepper flakes
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • a few sprigs thyme, optional

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in salted water, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

  2. Add the reserved pasta water, smashed roasted garlic and parmesan to a large skillet. Over medium-med. high heat, whisk until both cheese and garlic breaks down and begins to form a thicker and creamy sauce. Continuing to mash the garlic as it warms with the back of a wooden spoon or fork. (Remove any crispy bits of roasted garlic that don't melt into the sauce.)

  3. The sauce should come together in about 7 minutes. It doesn't look like a lot of sauce, but it's rich and a light coating is all that's needed to provide amazing garlic flavor.

  4. Stir in cream/oat milk, followed by pasta.

  5. Season with herbs and pepper. Top with cherry tomatoes and extra grated parmesan.

Notes

* the shape of the pasta you use will effect how much sauce you have to coat the pasta. Fusilli will hold more sauce in its spiral shape than penne.

* This is not Alfredo sauce -  it's meant to be a super light + flavorful coating of cream sauce flecked with pieces of roasted garlic.

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 450
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.