Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce (Printable)

Silky sauce made with roasted garlic bulbs, cream, tomatoes, and fresh basil. An easy, vegetarian Italian pasta dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 large whole garlic bulbs
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
04 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (plus extra for garnish)

→ Dairy

05 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)

→ Pantry

08 - 12 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves. Place each bulb on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly.
02 - Roast the garlic bulbs in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and soft. Allow to cool slightly.
03 - Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a bowl and mash to a paste.
04 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
05 - In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
06 - Stir in the mashed roasted garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
07 - Add the diced tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Simmer for 8-10 minutes to blend flavors.
08 - Stir in the butter and cream. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the Parmesan cheese.
09 - Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed for creaminess.
10 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil and Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The garlic becomes impossibly gentle and sweet, so even garlic-cautious friends find themselves asking for seconds.
  • It's ready in an hour but tastes like you spent all afternoon tending a sauce.
  • Heavy cream and Parmesan turn something vegetable-forward into pure comfort without pretense.
02 -
  • Roasted garlic can blacken quickly if your oven runs hot; start checking at 30 minutes and don't panic if the tips of cloves darken—that's flavor, not disaster.
  • Reserving pasta water before draining is non-negotiable; it transforms a thick sauce into something that moves and clings rather than sitting heavy on noodles.
  • Add the cream and Parmesan slowly and gently; high heat can make them break or become grainy instead of luxuriously silky.
03 -
  • Make roasted garlic in bulk on a Sunday and store it in olive oil in the fridge for up to a week; you'll find reasons to use it in soups, dressings, and toast.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy after adding cream, don't panic—whisk in a splash of pasta water off heat and it usually comes back together.
  • Taste the sauce before adding final pasta water; sometimes you'll want it thicker and sometimes thinner depending on your pasta shape and how much liquid it absorbed.
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