Linguine with Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced, or 1⁄2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound linguine
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. Place garlic in medium saucepan, add milk, and bring to simmer over low heat. Poach garlic until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Drain garlic and reserve milk. Rinse garlic to remove milk residue.
2. Place cloves in square of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Seal foil, place in oven, and roast until very soft, about 1 hour.
3. Allow garlic to cook then mash with fork or spoon until garlic has reached the consistency of paste.
4. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Cook pasta as directed on packaging. Reserve 2 cups pasta water then drain well. Return pasta to pot.
5. Meanwhile, bring reserved garlic milk, cream, red pepper, and oregano to boil in previously used saucepan; simmer, whisking often, until milk mixture reduces by half. Lower heat and whisk in garlic puree until sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
6. Pour sauce into pot with linguine and toss well to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it, about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Comments
This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated 1993. I thought it was super delicious. The garlic flavor was amazing but super mild due to the roasting. The only downside of this recipe is that we didn’t have leftovers! You could easily make this with any pasta shape and it would be great with added vegetables such as mushrooms or broccoli or anything you like.
Shown here with Roast Chicken with Dijon Mustard-Thyme Sauce.
Cook’s Illustrated 1993