Description
This creamy roast garlic and lemon pasta sauce combines the sweet caramelized flavor of slow-roasted garlic with the bright zestiness of fresh lemon and the richness of cream and parmesan. Perfectly coating your favorite pasta, this sauce is indulgent yet fresh, making it a comforting and elegant weeknight meal or a special occasion treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 150g fresh pasta per person or 100g dried pasta
Roast Garlic
- 2 whole heads garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 30g butter, cubed
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup cream (single cream used, heavy cream optional for richer sauce)
- 2–3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50g parmesan, finely grated
To Serve
- Extra lemon zest
- Dried paprika flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C (400°F) to prepare for roasting the garlic bulbs.
- Prepare and roast the garlic: Remove the outer papery layers from each garlic head and slice off the top horizontally, just enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, then wrap each head individually in foil and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the cloves become soft and caramelized.
- Make garlic paste: Once roasted and cooled, squeeze the garlic cloves out onto a chopping board and mash with the back of a spoon into a smooth paste.
- Cook the pasta: Boil your pasta in well-salted water according to package directions until al dente, then drain, reserving some of the pasta water.
- Start the sauce base: Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until it foams. Add pepper and stir to combine.
- Add garlic paste: Stir in the garlic paste, adding the amount to taste, whisking as you go.
- Incorporate cream: Pour in the cream and whisk gently over low heat to maintain a simmer—avoid boiling the sauce.
- Add lemon flavor: Whisk in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest until evenly mixed.
- Melt in parmesan: Add parmesan in increments, whisking and allowing it to melt before adding more, creating a smooth, creamy texture.
- Simmer sauce: Let the sauce gently simmer for a few minutes to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add cooked pasta directly into the pan with the sauce along with ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Stir and let it bubble for a minute to marry flavors and adjust sauce consistency.
- Adjust sauce consistency: Add extra pasta water if necessary to keep the sauce on the saucy side, as pasta absorbs sauce quickly.
- Plate and garnish: Serve the pasta with extra lemon zest and a sprinkle of dried paprika flakes or optional chili flakes for a touch of heat.
Notes
- The quantity of lemon juice and garlic can be adjusted to taste; start with less and add more if you desire a stronger flavor.
- If dried paprika flakes are unavailable, substitute with chili flakes or smoked paprika powder, or omit altogether.
- This sauce recipe generally serves 2 to 3 people, but you can stretch it by adding more pasta water if needed.
