Roasted Garlic Cream Pasta (Printable)

Al dente pasta tossed in velvety roasted garlic cream sauce with Parmesan. A simple, elegant Italian comfort dish.

# What You'll 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, or to taste
12 - Pinch of nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the 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 the 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 chopped shallot and sauté until softened, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Mash the roasted garlic into a paste and add to the skillet, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in the cream and milk, whisking to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Stir in the Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer gently until the cheese melts and the sauce achieves a velvety consistency.
07 - Add the drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce reaches desired consistency.
08 - Divide into serving bowls immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan and parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic adds a sweet, mellow richness that raw garlic could never match.
  • It comes together with mostly pantry staples, but tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every strand of pasta without feeling heavy or overdone.
  • Its impressive enough for guests but easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining, it's the only thing that will bring a broken or too-thick sauce back to life.
  • Don't let the cream boil hard or it can break and turn grainy, keep it at a gentle simmer.
  • Roast the garlic ahead of time if you want to speed up dinner, it keeps in the fridge for days.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoothly, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that make the sauce gritty.
03 -
  • Roast extra garlic bulbs and keep them in the fridge, they're amazing stirred into mashed potatoes, spread on toast, or mixed into salad dressings.
  • Use a large skillet so there's plenty of room to toss the pasta without it clumping or the sauce pooling unevenly.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta, it should be slightly over-seasoned because the pasta will dilute it a bit.
  • Finish the dish with a drizzle of good olive oil right before serving for an extra layer of richness and shine.
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