Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

Name: Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 head of roasted garlic; 8 oz. campanelle pasta (or any other pasta that you'd like to use); 1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup white wine; 1-2 anchovy fillets (optional); 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg; 1/3 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated); 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1 cup cooked turkey or chicken; 1-2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.); salt (pepper to taste)

6 comments
December 1, 2014

This simple roasted garlic pasta recipe makes great use of leftover poultry and features a creamy yet light sauce that coats the pasta with a silky texture. A satisfying, easy-to-make dish that’s perfect for busy nights!

As a food blogger, I’m often tempted to give each recipe a really creative flair. This was definitely the case with this dish as well. I thought about adding some mushrooms, green beans, asparagus or peas to give it a more unique twist, more color, flavor and texture. I also thought about adding a crunchy breadcrumb topping. All of these additions would be great. However, sometimes less is more.

Pasta holds a really great charm for me. Most of the time, dinner comes together in as much time as it takes to cook the pasta. That’s a huge benefit on many counts. This recipe also makes good use of already cooked poultry. Who doesn’t have leftover chicken at one point or another or turkey this time of year? This recipe makes good use of this very common leftover and gives it a complete makeover. Saucy pasta is just the best, but not if it’s heavy and gloppy. I like when it coats the pasta with a silky texture.

The creamy but light roasted garlic sauce is absolutely delicious and complex enough on it’s own. With some poultry and fresh herbs, the meal is complete and perfect. I would even eat the pasta with the sauce and herbs alone. (To be quite honest, and since I’m already bearing my soul, I picked out most of the meat and gave it to my husband. Being a huge meat-lover, he didn’t mind a bit.) You guessed it, this pregnant lady still isn’t a big fan of meat. Or any other food most days of the week. About twice a week I’ll actually have an appetite, and believe me, I really take advantage of it and enjoy it as much as possible.

Ingredients:

1 head of roasted garlic

8 oz. campanelle pasta (or any other pasta that you’d like to use)

1/2 – 3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1-2 anchovy fillets, optional

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/3 – 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup cooked turkey or chicken

1-2 Tablespoons fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.

salt, pepper to taste

Instructions:

Roasting garlic gives it super powers. The garlic becomes soft, sweet and caramelized. The harsh garlic flavors become much more mild. The nutty, perfectly gentle garlic flavor is absolutely spot on. It really is the main flavor component of the sauce in this case.

Start with roasting the garlic. You can do this ahead of time. It’s a great idea to keep some roasted garlic on hand. It’s absolutely delicious in simple recipes like this one and gives so much great flavor to a dish. You can also mix some up with flavored butter and make some INCREDIBLE garlic bread. Which would taste great with this recipe too. If you’re interested in the recipe, I have it posted already:

Garlic Bread

To roast the garlic, cut off the top of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and wrap it in parchment paper and then wrap the parchment in aluminum foil. Place in a 400 degrees Fahrenheit oven and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour until the garlic is soft and slightly golden. Store it wrapped tightly in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use it, squeeze out the garlic from the papery encasement.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to how done you like it. Save 1 cup of the pasta water.

While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, you will prepare the sauce. It’s that fast and easy.

Bring the chicken broth and white wine to a boil in a large skillet. Add the roasted garlic, red pepper flakes and anchovies to the skillet. If the thought of anchovies makes you nervous, let me assure you, it won’t make the sauce taste “fishy”. I really encourage you to give it a try. The anchovies will melt completely into the sauce but give so much great flavor to the dish.

Whisk vigorously, breaking apart the garlic and the anchovies. Add the cooked turkey or chicken to the skillet and cook just for a minute to heat it up. Add the nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and the cream to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, just until the sauce thickens up slightly. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with the fresh herbs. Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Pour in some of the reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce if it needs it. I always add pasta water to this sauce. It may seem watery at first but the pasta will really soak up the sauce, so don’t worry if it looks a little loose at first.

Garnish with more herbs and Parmesan cheese, if you’d like.