Garlic is arguably (not really) one of the greatest foods ever. Roasting takes the amazing base flavour of garlic and heightens it to something sweet and rich. Some may think roasted garlic is a complicated gourmet affair, but that’s just nonsense. In fact it’s quick, straightforward to prepare and incredibly rewarding. Luckily for us Ontarians, it’s easy to buy locally.

Valentine’s Day is a controversial subject that I’m not going to address here. But if you’re looking for a nice meal to prepare for yourself and a friend, roommate or love interest, here’s an impressive recipe that makes enough for two.

If it happens to occur around next Tuesday, so be it.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 clove of Ontario garlic

1 onion

1 cup of heavy cream or milk

1 tbsp butter

olive oil

1 cup of mushrooms

fettucini or spaghetti

salt

pepper

basil, bay leaf, nutmeg

 

Start by taking a whole head of garlic and cutting off the top so that all the cloves are exposed. Set the oven to 400F and drizzle the garlic head with oil and a pinch of salt. Place the garlic on a baking pan and cover the top with tinfoil so that it doesn’t burn. Leave for 30-35 minutes. (I cleverly baked mine in a muffin tray)

In a pot, boil some water and add in enough pasta for two. In a skillet add a splash of oil and saute a chopped onion, then add in the mushrooms. Salt and pepper. Melt the butter in the skillet around the time the pasta is ready.

Note: use oil instead of butter when sauteing as it doesn’t burn as easily, you can add butter in later for flavour if desired.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain (do not rinse!) and add directly into the skillet with the mushrooms and the onions. Slowly add in the milk or cream and mix the ingredients so that the pasta is coated evenly. The starch from the pasta will thicken the sauce, so be patient and cook it on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Toss in a pinch of basil, ground nutmeg and bay.

The garlic should be read by now so carefully remove the tinfoil and squeeze out the ooey gooey delicious garlic into the pan and mix it through, crushing the garlic as you do so. You’re only going to use about half of the head for this dish, the rest you can store in the fridge. Roasted garlic is great to smear on toast or mash in potatoes, but those are recipes for another day.

Serve with your choice of salad and a nice chianti.

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