One-Pot Roasted Garlic Pasta
Updated Aug. 20, 2025
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2garlic heads (25 cloves or so), peeled
- ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1pound shells or cavatappi
- ½cup heavy cream
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
718 calories; 31 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 94 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 433 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Set aside one garlic clove for later. Place a sieve over a heatproof measuring cup and set aside.
- Step 2
In a medium (3- to 4-quart) pot over medium heat, combine the oil and the remaining garlic cloves. Once the oil starts sizzling, reduce the heat to low and fry, stirring frequently, until the garlic develops a golden-brown exterior, about 8 minutes, occasionally basting the garlic to ensure uniform color. Pour the garlic into the sieve and reserve the garlic-infused oil.
- Step 3
To the same pot, add the fried garlic, 5 cups of water and the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a cutting board. Using the back of a knife, carefully crush the cloves into a fine paste. To the boiling water, add the pasta and garlic paste. Cook over high, stirring frequently, until pasta is al dente, which is often about 3 minutes fewer than what the packaging specifies. The water should be reduced by about half at this point.
- Step 4
Finely grate the remaining raw garlic clove. To the pot, add the grated garlic, garlic-infused oil and cream. Mix until the liquid emulsifies into a thin, brothy sauce and pasta is cooked through. Taste and season with salt, as needed. The sauce will thicken as the pasta rests for a minute or two.
Private Notes
Comments
I made this recipe scaled to 1 serving - kept everything the same except for using some leftover maloreddus instead of the shape carolina recommends ... the flavor here is INSANE. one thing is that i had to incorporate more water than originally thought - but not a huge deal (that said after following the 3 minute rule my pasta was still too tough - bu thonestly looked over it because the SAUCE IS SIMPLY DIVINE). this recipe rocks because you can also make it while a bit tipsy
Cousin Joe: in response to your question, “OK if I top off with some … grated pecorino” The answer is always yes.
@M you could do cashew cream (just soaked raw cashews and water blended), or silk and Trader Joe’s both have vegan heavy cream now and it’s great!
It takes a long time for the garlic cloves to brown. It’s not just a few minutes. And the idea of boiling a pound of pasta in 5 cups of water is crazy unless, of course, you’re talking about fresh pasta. But nothing in the recipe calls for that. I had to keep adding water because the pasta was not getting cooked.
Would love to know what the white blobs are that are added to the pot near the finish in the video? I don't want to miss out on an important ingredient.
I made this dairy-free with homemade cashew “cream” in place of the heavy cream. I made the cream with 3/4 cup of softened unsalted raw cashews and roughly 1 cup of elmhurst cashew milk in vitamix blender, took about 10 minutes and I let it sit in the fridge overnight, but you don’t have to. If needed add warm water. Use in the same way the recipe calls for heavy cream to be used.