Quick and Easy Roasted Garlic Pasta With Cream
A deliciously quick recipe with the comforting taste of roasted garlic cloves, This creamy roasted garlic pasta only needs a few ingredients and is ready to eat in 30 minutes.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
BEGINNER
Prep Time:
10 MINUTES
Cook Time:
20 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
A quick meal with simple ingredients that’s ready in 30 minutes.
Roasted garlic has a mild smoky flavour and can be roasted ahead and stored in the freezer for recipes like this.
Spice adjustable to suit everyone. You can add in more chilli and raise the heat if you wish or remove it for a more mild flavour.
When I’m in a hurry, a simple pasta recipe is often my go-to choice for family dinner. This quick roasted garlic pasta comes from my own recipe book when I wanted to come up with a number of recipe using roasted garlic.
Loosely based on a traditional pasta recipe called “Aglio Olio” which contains similar ingredients but without the cream, I decided to create a creamy version of a classic that’s perfect for cold nights when you’re looking for something comforting to eat.
I use roasted garlic in this garlic pasta recipe, not only for the smoky flavour it brings to the dish, but you’ll find that there’s much less of an after-taste with roasted garlic with the flavour being more mild and sweet.
What’s more, is that roasted garlic can be baked in large batches and stored in the freezer for recipes just like this. Roasting garlic is a great way for those times you might find yourself with excess garlic and not enough recipes to use it in.
Check Out More Roasted Garlic Recipes:
Equipment Needed:
- Large Saucepan: Use one big enough to fit the pasta in without it spilling over as it boils.
- Large Frying Pan or Skillet: Remember that it needs to fit not only the sauce but the pasta too, once it has cooked.
- Colander: For draining the pasta.
- Sharp Knife and Chopping Board: To prepare and chop the ingredients.
- Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula: For stirring the sauce.
- Grater: For grating the parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
- Dried Pasta: We are using fusilli pasta in this dish but feel free to use any pasta shape you like. Rigatoni, penne, spaghetti or linguine all work well.
- Roasted Garlic: Milder and more sweet than raw garlic. You can prepare a big batch of roasted garlic and store it in the freezer.
- Olive Oil: Use a cooking olive oil and not extra virgin olive oil.
- Red Chilli: Adds a touch of heat and spice to balance the creamy sauce. You can adjust the heat level but using hotter chilli peppers, removing the seeds for a milder flavour or leaving some in for spiciness.
- Double Cream: Also known as heavy cream depending on where in the world you live.
- Parmesan: Parmigiano Reggiano is the best parmesan to use for this recipe.
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Used to season the sauce and pasta, enhancing all the flavours.
- Fresh Parsley: Used for a garnish.
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
Substitutions:
- Dried Pasta: You can use fresh pasta if you want to speed up the cooking time.
- Parmesan: Aged Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano can be used as alternatives for a similar sharp, salty flavour.
- Olive Oil: You can use a different cooking oil or a little unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Red Chilli: You can use dried chilli flakes instead.
- Fresh Parsley: Dried parsley is also fine, just don’t use as much.
Additions:
- Grilled Chicken: Add grilled chicken slices or chunks for a more filling dish.
- Bacon or Pancetta: Crispy bacon or pancetta can be added for extra crunch and smokiness.
- Mushrooms: Sautéed mushrooms can be added for an earthy flavour.
Smart Shortcuts:
In a rush and need to take some shortcuts with this recipe? Here’s some ideas:
Pre-roasted Garlic: Use store-bought roasted garlic (available in jars) instead of roasting it yourself. This saves the time of roasting and mashing the garlic.
Pre-grated Parmesan: Buy pre-grated Parmesan cheese to avoid grating it yourself, saving you time and effort
Fresh Pasta: Buy fresh pasta to replace the dried, it cooks in much less time.
Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Roasted Garlic Pasta
Prep-Ahead Time Saving Tips for Roasted Garlic Pasta
Planning ahead makes this recipe even faster! Here are some ways to streamline your prep:
TOTAL TIME SAVED:
28 MINUTES
Roast and Mash the Garlic (Save 20 minutes): Roast the garlic ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. When it’s time to cook, simply mash it and add it to your dish. This saves the time of roasting it fresh and gives you a head start. You can also store it in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Grate the Parmesan (Save 5 minutes): Grate the Parmesan cheese ahead of time and store it in a container in the fridge. This way, when you’re ready to cook, it’s ready to be stirred in and melt smoothly into the sauce.
Chop the Red Chilli and Parsley (Save 3 minutes): Finely chop and deseed the red chilli and fresh parsley in advance. Store them in separate, small airtight containers in the fridge for up to a day or freeze for longer storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can control the spice level by adjusting the amount of red chilli used. For a milder dish, reduce or omit the chilli. For extra heat, you can add more chili or use a spicier variety like bird’s eye chili.
Roasting the garlic adds a rich, sweet flavour to the dish. If you’re in a rush, you can sauté raw garlic with the chili, but roasted garlic will provide a more mellow, sweet taste that blends well with the cream. Remember, you can roast the garlic ahead of time and freeze for quicker prep.
If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can simmer it for a longer time to reduce it further, or add a small amount of cornflour (cornstarch) or flour mixed with water to thicken the sauce.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Don’t Overcook the Pasta: Be sure to cook the pasta al dente (firm to the bite) and slightly undercook it by a minute to allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. This ensures that the pasta absorbs the flavours of the sauce and remains perfectly tender without becoming mushy.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Before draining the pasta, save a cup of pasta cooking water. This starchy water is perfect for adjusting the sauce’s consistency if it becomes too thick, and it helps the sauce cling to the pasta better.
- Control the Heat for the Sauce: When making the creamy sauce, cook the garlic and chili on medium heat and avoid high heat. This ensures the garlic doesn’t burn and become bitter, and the cream doesn’t separate when added. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer for the best creamy texture.
Storage
- In the Fridge: This is a dish that it best eaten fresh on the day it’s made, but if you do wish to store it, I would recommend storing the sauce separately from the pasta to prevent sogginess. Reheat it gently on the stove.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this dish due to the dairy content (double cream and Parmesan). Freezing and reheating can cause the cream to separate, resulting in a grainy or oily texture. The pasta may also become mushy when frozen and thawed.
Quick and Easy Roasted Garlic Pasta With Cream
Ingredients
- 450 g Dried Pasta
- 90 g Roasted Garlic, mashed
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Red Chilli, finely chopped and deseeded
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 90 g Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped finely
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped red chili and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add the mashed roasted garlic to the pan, stirring well to combine with the chili.
- Pour in the double cream, stirring gently. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce becomes creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing well to coat evenly. Stir in the chopped parsley.
- Serve with a garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
- The sauce can thicken quickly once you add the Parmesan, so keep stirring gently to incorporate the cheese smoothly into the cream.
- It’s best to store the sauce separately from the pasta for 1-2 days in the fridge, reheat gently on the stovetop. This dish is not suitable for freezing due to the creamy texture.
