Spaghettini with Roasted Garlic

Not much in the cupboards?  No problem!  This is a quick and easy recipe that's wonderfully flavored by the nutty flavor of roasted garlic.  Serve as a main course or as a side to a fish or seafood dinner.

Spaghettini with Roasted Garlic

1 whole head of garlic

14 oz. fresh or dried spaghettini (thin spaghetti)

Coarsely shaved Parmesan

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the top off the garlic bulb so all of the cloves are exposed.  Drizzle olive oil on the top of the bulb, then sprinkle with kosher salt and a few grinds of a pepper mill.  Set the bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil and bring up the sides and fold to make a packet.  Roast for anywhere between 45 - 60 minutes, or until very fragrant and the cloves are soft.

Let the garlic cool a little, then dig out the cloves with the tip of a sharp knife; put into a small bowl and combine with the 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.  Add a little bit of additional kosher salt and pepper and mash up the cloves with a fork as much as possible.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions, or until al dente.  Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the olive oil and garlic mix.  Toss the pasta vigorously over medium heat until all strands are thoroughly coated.  Serve immediately with shavings of Parmesan.

Serve with a mixed green salad dressed with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 4

NOTE:  Do NOT be tempted to follow this recipe using a full pound of pasta - you will not have enough dressing for the noodles.  However, you can buy 7 oz. packages of pasta labeled "thin spaghetti."  Also, if you love garlic, feel free to roast two bulbs of garlic.  One bulb departs a nice delicate garlic flavor but if you want an extra garlic punch, add another bulb.

If for whatever reason you don't think the noodles are coated enough, keep the olive oil on hand to add a small drizzle (no more than a tablespoon, though).  The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily multiply the recipe to whatever specifications you need to feed a crowd!