Chef Alon Shaya’s Roasted Garlic, Basil, and Burrata Pizza in FC #135 begins with a whole head’s worth of roasted garlic smeared over the dough. (Yum!) Thankfully, roasting garlic is straightforward and simple (see below for the finer points). Store roasted garlic in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to one month. It’s also delicious on bruschetta, tossed with pasta, or added to a salad.

Step-by-step
Remove any loose papery skin from the head and slice about 1/2 inch off the top to expose the cloves. Put the head in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil. Season with salt and pepper, add a sprig of a hearty fresh herb like thyme, if you like, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Gather the foil in a loose pouch and put the pouch in a small baking dish.

Roast in a 400°F oven until the cloves are completely soft, about 1 hour. Let cool briefly and then squeeze the cloves out of the skin from the bottom or pop them out with a knife.

Photos: Scott Phillips