Oven Roasted Garlic Recipe with Olive Oil
Roasted garlic is an easy way to transform your garlic bulb into a delicious soft spread. Also to be used in sauces, spreads, or mashed into butter, this roasted garlic is the perfect way to add that extra something to your meals. This is an easy and basic skill that will make your meals taste amazing and can be stored in the freezer so that it is always on hand! Once you start roasting your garlic for recipes, you are never going to stop!
In this blog post, you will learn how to make roasted garlic.
How to Roast Garlic
To make this dish, take your garlic bulb and slice off the top of the garlic bulb to reveal the tops of the cloves. Place the garlic bulb onto a medium-sized sheet of aluminum foil and then pour extra virgin olive oil over top. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
Fold the aluminum foil over the garlic bulb so that it is fully encapsulated, place it onto a baking sheet, and then roast it in the oven. Lastly, remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and remove the aluminum foil. Because of the roasting, the garlic cloves should be easily squeezed out of the bulb with your hands. You will know when it has finished baking because the garlic bulb will be soft, look caramelized, and is easily spreadable.
Use it in your preferred dish, like these crispy smashed potatoes, right away or freeze for future use!
Benefits of Using Roasted Garlic in Your Dishes
Using roasted garlic in your dishes has several delicious benefits which I have noted below.
- Milder and Sweeter Flavour
- Enhanced Depth of Flavour
- Smooth and Spreadable Texture
- Easier to Digest
- Versatility
If you are interested in the Health Benefits of Garlic, follow this link to learn how good garlic can be to for your health.
How to Use Roasted Garlic
Because roasted garlic is incredibly versatile it can be substituted into dishes that either use garlic powder or minced garlic cloves. It tends to have a mellower and sweeter taste than fresh garlic as fresh garlic can have a bit of a bite to it which some people can not tolerate in large portions. Finally here are a few dishes that you can put roasted garlic into!
- Mashed Potatoes
- Pasta Sauces like my Spaghetti Bolognese.
- Soups like my homemade Tomato Soup Recipe.
- Spreads
- Salad Dressings
- Roasted Vegetables
- Pizza Sauces
- Hummus or Dips
- Roasted Meats
In conclusion, this dish can enhance almost any savoury dish, adding a deep, caramelized garlic flavour without the harshness of raw garlic.
How to Store Roasted Garlic
Roasted garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. After roasting, place the garlic bulb into an airtight container. Lastly, cover it with olive oil. Because you covered the garlic bulb in olive oil, it will help to preserve its freshness.
Roasted garlic can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze the garlic by mashing it up and dividing it into small portions, like ice cube trays, for convenient use in the future.
To reheat/thaw your roasted garlic, place it onto a baking tray and put into the oven to bake on a low heat for 15-20 minutes.
It is best to make larger batches of roasted garlic at a time and to freeze it so that you always have some on hand for your many delicious recipes!
Ingredients
Garlic Bulb: the garlic bulb is roasted in the oven and develops a sweet, caramelized flavour that becomes soft and spreadable. This can then be spread onto your Homemade Bread!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: the olive oil is poured over the garlic bulbs this then helps it to roast evenly and keep it from drying out.
Salt: salt enhances the flavour of garlic and herbs. But only a pinch is needed.
Black Pepper: black pepper adds a mild and earthy heat to the garlic.
Rosemary: fresh or dried rosemary can be used. This then adds a lovely fragrance.
Thyme: lastly, thyme complements the garlic with an earthy flavour.
Tips
- Use your roasted dish in breads and soups which will therefore add a sweet, lovely, and mellow taste.
- Freeze your garlic in ice cube trays this then makes it easier to remove from the freezer for future use.
- If you would prefer to use baking parchment instead of aluminum foil, just wrap the cloves in the parchment paper, making sure to trim off the excess paper, and tie with twine.
- If your garlic is coming out bitter consistently, it could be because of the temperature of the oven. Try reducing the heat temperature to 350℉/175℃/Gas Mark 4. If it was a one time bitterness, your garlic might have gone bad, or it was undercooked or overcooked.
Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 large garlic bulb
- 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
- On a cutting board, cut the top of the garlic bulb off to reveal the tops of the cloves.
- Place the cut garlic bulb onto tin foil and drizzle the cut portion with olive oil.
- Season the garlic with salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme to your liking and preference.
- Fold the tin foil around the garlic encasing it fully and place into the oven.
- Roast the garlic bulb for 45 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from the oven and let cool. The garlic cloves should be easily squeezed out of the bulb.
Notes
Author: Sarah Young