Roasted Garlic

Ingredients

• 2 large bulbs garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In this recipe, we do not peel the garlic bulb but rather roast it in its papery covering. With a very sharp knife, remove just enough of the root end of the garlic bulb to flatten it enough to sit upright. From the more tapered, flower end of the bulb, slice 1/4 to 1/2-inch off the top to reveal the garlic cloves within, but do not remove too much of the cloves' flesh.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the garlic bulbs upright in a baking dish, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil over the top of the exposed cloves.

Season with a touch of salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil, and roast 30 to 35 minutes, until the garlic cloves take on a rich golden color and the papery covering has begun to brown but has not blackened.

Remove from the oven and cool several minutes before serving. The garlic also can be served at room temperature and used in place of butter on the dinner table.